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19  1910 


SOCIAL     AND     MENTAL    TRAITS 
OF    THE    NEGRO 

Research  into  the  Conditions  of  the  Negro  Race  in  Southern  Towns 


A  STUDY  IN  RACE  TRAITS,  TENDENCIES 
AND  PROSPECTS 


BY 

HOWARD  W.  ODUM 


SUBMITTED  IN  PARTIAL  FULFILMENT  OF  THE  REQUIREMENTS 

FOR  THE  DEGREE  OF  DOCTOR  OF  PHILOSOPHY 

IN   THE 

FACULTY  OF  POLITICAL  SCIENCE 
COLUMBIA  UNIVERSITY 


NEW  YORK 
IQIO 


SOCIAL    AND     MENTAL    TRAITS 
OF    THE    NEGRO 

Research  into  the  Conditions  of  the  Negro  Race  in  Southern  Towns 


A  STUDY  IN  RACE  TRAITS,  TENDENCIES 
AND  PROSPECTS 


BY 

HOWARD  W.  ODUM 


SUBMITTED  IN  PARTIAL  FULFILMENT  OF  THE  REQUIREMENTS 
FOR  THE  DEGREE  OF  DOCTOR  OF  PHILOSOPHY 

IN    THE 

FACULTY  OF  POLITICAL  SCIENCE 
COLUMBIA  UNIVERSITY 


OF  THE 

UNIVCRSr 

OF 


NEW  YORK 
I9IO 


. 


COPYRIGHT,  1910 

BY 
HOWARD  W.  ODUM 


PREFACE 

THIS  work  has  three  purposes.  First,  it  is  an  effort  to 
contribute  something  toward  a  scientific  knowledge  of  the 
Negro.  It  aims  to  describe  the  conditions  of  negro  life  in 
Southern  communities  and  to  analyze  the  essential  qualities 
of  the  race.  Second,  it  is  presented,  not  as  a  final  treatment 
of  the  entire  subject  but  as  a  beginning,  along  with  other 
special  studies,1  for  a  scientific  but  practical  study  of  the 
Negro  in  the  South.  Third,  it  tries  to  interpret  the  Negro 
Problem  and  to  some  extent  to  suggest  means  by  which  the 
heart  of  the  problem  may  be  reached.  It  seeks  to  avoid 
generalities  and  to  present  qualitative,  specific,  concrete  re 
sults.  The  suggestions  made  look  toward  the  improvement 
and  development  of  the  negro  race  and  to  the  establishment 
of  relations  between  the  races  which  shall  be  permanently 
satisfactory. 

In  the  prosecution  of  the  investigation  assistance  has  been 
received  with  varying  degrees  of  co-operation  from  many 
persons  throughout  the  South.  Much  encouragement  has 
been  offered  by  a  large  number  of  those  interested  in  the 
study  of  the  Negro  and  in  the  Southern  problem.  It  is 
hoped  that  the  results  of  the  study  will  repay  to  some  extent 
all  those  who  have  assisted  in  various  ways. 

1  See  "  Religious  Folk-songs  of  the  Southern  Negroes  "  by  the  author 
in  The  American  Journal  of  Religious  Psychology  and  Education, 
July,  1909,  vol.  iii,  pp.  265-365.  It  is  the  purpose  of  a  companion  work 
on  Negro  Folk-songs  and  Folk-thought,  to  be  published,  at  an  early 
date  by  the  American  Folk-lore  Society,  to  study  something  of 
the  social  psychology  and  folk-ways  of  the  Southern  negroes  and 
to  present  some  aspects  of  the  Negro's  mental  imagery,  style  and 
habits. 

309]  5 


207002 


<5  PREFACE  [3ia 

Special  thanks  are  due  to  Professor  David  H.  Bishop  of 
the  University  of  Mississippi  and  to  President  W.  L.  Weber 
of  the  Centenary  College  of  Louisiana  for  valuable  sugges 
tions  and  criticisms,  to  Professor  Albert  Bushnell  Hart  of 
Harvard  University  for  important  critical  suggestions  and 
aids,,  to  President  G.  Stanley  Hall  of  Clark  University  for 
his  personal  interest,  encouragement,  and  assistance,  and  to 
Professor  Franklin  H.  Giddings  and  Professor  Edwin  R.  A. 
Seligman  of  Columbia  University  for  invaluable  criticisms, 
suggestions,  and  co-operation  in  making  it  possible  for  the 
work  to  appear  in  its  present  form. 

Special  acknowledgment  is  also  due  Dr.  Thomas  P. 
Bailey,  Superintendent  of  the  Memphis  City  Schools,  for 
merly  Professor  of  Psychology  and  Education  in  the  Uni 
versity  of  Mississippi,  under  whose  direction  the  special 
studies  were  begun.  Throughout  the  work  his  suggestions 
and  co-operation  have  been  helpful.  The  best  results  of  the 
studies  herein  presented  will  be  only  a  meagre  testimonial 
to  his  discriminating  study  of  the  Negro  and  to  his  scientific 
interest  and  enthusiasm  in  promoting  original  research  into 
many  important  problems. 

Perhaps  the  more  natural  arrangement  of  chapters  would 
be  in  the  order :  Home  Life  and  Morals,  The  Negro  Offen 
der,  Social  Status,  Fraternal  Organizations,  Churches  and 
Religion,  The  Emotions,  Education,  and  The  Negro  Prob 
lem,  with  a  summary  of  discussions.  The  plan  on  which 
the  results  are  presented  in  this  book,  however,  is  to  pass 
from  the  more  external  conditions,  through  the  special  reli 
gious  and  social  activities  of  the  Negro,  to  his  more  private 
life;  then,  to  proceed  from  the  more  general  social  life  and 
traits  to  the  discussion  of  the  total  problem  and  to  the  con 
clusions.  In  this  way  it  is  hoped  that  each  chapter  will  be 
carefully  correlated  with  all  the  other  chapters. 

H.  W.  O. 

COLUMBIA  UNIVERSITY,  APRIL  i,  1910. 


CONTENTS 


FACE 

PREFACE ^  •   •  5 

INTRODUCTION 

The  Negro  judged  by  appearances 13 

Individuals  and  the  community 14 

Diversity  of  conditions  and  problems 15 

Value  of  specific  results •• *.   .   .  17 

Scope  of  the  work 17 

Difficulties  in  the  way  of  the  investigator 18 

Purpose  and  tentative  results  of  the  work 20 

A  knowledge  of  actual  conditions  the  first  essential 20 

Present  tendencies  in  the  South 21 

The  need  for  the  study  of  the  problem 21 

CHAPTER  I 

NEGRO  SCHOOLS  AND  THE  EDUCATION  OF  THE  NEGRO 

The  problem  stated 23 

Negro  children  of  school  age,  regularity  of  attendance,  age  and 

sex  conditions  of  negro  teachers  in  Southern  States 25 

General  school  facilities  among  the  negroes  in  Southern  towns  .   .  26 

Number  of  pupils  enrolled  to  each  teacher;  salaries  of  teachers  .   .  27 

Irregularity  of  attendance 29 

Causes  for  poor  attendance 29 

The  poorer  negro  teacher yz 

The  better  negro  teacher 33 

Working  conditions  and  daily  routine  of  school  life 34 

Characteristics  of  negro  children 36 

Brightness  and  ability  of  negro  children 37 

Race  conditions  of  the  Negro';  the  child's  inheritance 39 

Effect  of  education  upon  negro  youth 41 

Methods  that  have  been  suggested  for  educating  the  Negro.   ...  42 

Inconsistency  of  past  and  present  methods 44 

Imitation  of  the  white  man  vs.  efficiency 46 

7 


g  CONTENTS  [3I2 

FACE 

A  plan  proposed  for  the  education  of  the  Negro  for  efficiency  within 

the  race 47 

Consideration  of  the  objections  to  the  plan 51 

Conditions  to  be  met  in  the  successful  training  of  the  Negro  ...  52 

Regulation  of  attendance  and  supervision  of  negro  schools   ....  53 

CHAPTER  II 

THE   NEGRO    CHURCH   AND    RELIGION 

The  function  of  the  negro  church 54 

Religious  denominations  among  the  negroes 54 

Location  and  description  of  negro  churches 55 

Membership  and  assessments 57 

Church  services  and  attendance 58 

Description  of  common  worship 59 

Songs  and  music;  qualities  of  negro  church  music 62 

Negro  prayers;  musical  notation  of  appeal 67 

Preaching,  sermons  and  responses;  musical  representation  ....  73 

Church  collections;  various  methods 78 

Satisfaction  which  the  negro  finds  in  all  forms  of  worship 82 

Protracted  meetings,  conferences,  and  burials   .........  83 

The  negro  preacher 86 

Moral  qualities  of  the  Negro's  religion 88 

Emotional  and  imaginative  features 89 

Religious  conceptions  and  beliefs 91 

White  workers  among  the  negroes;  Sunday-schools 92 

Methods  and  results  of  such  work 93 

Obstacles  to  effective  religious  work  among  the  negroes 95 

General  attitude  of  the  white  church  toward  the  negro  church    .   .  96 

Possible  influence  of  religion  upon  the  Negro 97 

CHAPTER  III 

FRATERNAL   ORGANIZATIONS  AND   BENEVOLENT    SOCIETIES 

The  fraternal  organization  an  institution  among  the  negroes.  ...  98 

Growth  of  fraternal  orders  and  benevolent  societies 99 

Organizations  in  Mississippi .  100 

Reports  of  certificates  and  assessments 101 

Compared  with  insurance  societies  of  whites 102 

Membership  among  negro  organizations 102 

Official  newspaper  organs 103 

Character  and  scope  of  work  done  by  the  various  organizations; 

membership 104 


CONTENTS  g 

FACE 

Subordinate  lodges;  name  distinctions 105 

Juvenile  societies 108 

Principal  characteristics  of  negro  societies 109 

Methods  of  propagation  and  support in 

Enthusiasm,  interest,  and  pride 114 

Financial  requirements  and  expenses 116 

Misappropriation  of  funds 120 

Delinquency  and  renewals 122 

Reports  of  the  itinerant  worker .  123 

Harmony  and  rivalry  among  separate  orders 125 

Satisfaction  and  enjoyment  obtained  from  lodge  activities 125 

Officers,  committees,  and  titles 128 

Superfluous  activities:  abuse  of  authority  and  trust 130 

Relative  merits  of  the  fraternal  organization 132 

Its  services  to  the  Negro 133 

Objections  and  evils  of  fraternal  societies  among  the  negroes  .    .    .  137 

Original  aims  and  purposes 142 

Women's  clubs 144 

An  estimate  of  the  negro  lodge 145 

A  platform  suggested 148 

CHAPTER  IV 

THE  HOME  LIFE,  DISEASES  AND  MORALS  OF  THE  NEGRO 

Home  life  the  basis  of  individual  and  social  character 150 

What  of  the  Negro's  home  life? 150 

Location  and  description  of  negro  houses 151 

Classification  according  to  number  of  rooms;  number  in  family  .    .  152 

Living  conditions  in  the  negro  home 153 

Interior  furnishings 153 

Disorder  and  filth;  conditions  of  earning  livelihood 155 

Relations  between  husband  and  wife  as  head  of  family 156 

Supplies  of  provisions  and  habits  of  living 157 

Unsanitary  conditions,  lack  of  hygiene,  filthy  habits 159 

Relations  between  members  of  family;  punishment  of  children;  dis 
integration  of  the  home 160 

Absence  of  general  literature  and  the  Bible 162 

Resulting  conditions 163 

Sexual  immorality  and  ethical  views;  negro  children 164 

Vulgarity  of  practices,  songs  and  thought 166 

Diseases  and  health  conditions 167 

Liabilities  to  disease;  differences  between  whites  and  blacks   .   .   .  168 

Testimony  of  practicing  physicians 170 


10  CONTENTS  [3!4 

PAGE 

The  seriousness  of  the  situation 172 

Attitude  of  the  better  negroes 173 

The  brighter  side;  better  conditions 174 

Difficulties  of  negro  environment 175 

The  Negro's  conception  of  home 176 

The  white  man's  part  in  tbe  problem  of  the  negro  home  and  morals.  177 

The  -Negro's  part ....           179 

Conclusions ^ 181 

CHAPTER  V 

THE    NEGRO   OFFENDER 

Scope  of  the  inquiry *   .  182 

Characteristics  of  the  ante-bellum  Negro;  the  Negro  in  Africa.  .    .  184 

Fundamental  aspects  of  the  problem  of  negro  crime 186 

Negro  crime  in  smaller  communities 188 

The  woman  offender 189 

Detailed  reports 190 

Reports  from  larger  communities 192 

General  conditions 195 

Negro  crime  in  cities 196 

Ages  of  white  and  black  offenders 197 

Months  in  which  arrests  are  most  frequent 199 

Detailed  records  of  offences  in  cities 202 

Relative  nature  of  crimes  of  whites  and  blacks 206 

Defence  of  the  Negro 207 

Negro  commits  more  offences  for  which  he  is  not  punished  than 

offences  for  which  he  is  taken  into  judgment 208 

Negroes  often  the  accusers 209 

Weakness  and  the  gratification  of  impulse  the  chief  cause  of  crime.  210 

The  Negro  more  an  offender  than  a  criminal 210 

General  conclusions;  seriousness  of  the  Negro's  condition    ....  211 

CHAPTER  VI 

THE  SOCIAL  STATUS  OF  THE  NEGRO 

What  determines  the  Negro's  status? 213 

The  home,  criminal  tendencies,  church,  fraternal  organizations  and 

schools  of  the  negroes  considered 213 

The  negro  laborer;  classification 214 

Inefficiency  and  vagrancy  . 219 

Professional  ethics  of  idleness 220 

Wages  and  demand 221 


315]  CONTENTS  ll 


PAGE 


The  Negro's  expenditure  of  money 222 

The  Negro  as  a  property  owner 223 

Improvidence  and  poverty 224 

Negro  society  in  general 225 

Sunday  with  the  negro 225 

During  the  week 227 

Specific  modes  of  entertainment      228 

Various  enjoyments 230 

The  Negro  in  song j  .  231 

Social  standards 233 

Attitude  of  youth  to  old  age 234 

Attitude  toward  women 235 

Jealousies  and  rivalries;  caste  ....       236 

Limitations  of  the  Negro's  society „ 237 

CHAPTER  VII 

THE  EMOTIONS  OF  THE  NEGRO  AND  THEIR  RELATION  TO  CONDUCT 

Is  the  Negro  differentiated  by  his  emotional  development?  ....  238 

The  essential  nature  of  the  negro's  emotions 239 

Illustrated  by  fear;  nature  and  manifestations  of 240 

Anger,  revenge,  jealousy 242 

Sympathy  and  imitation;  satisfaction 246 

Love  and  affection 251 

Self-feelings;  positive  and  negative 254 

Individual  and  group  strivings  of  the  negroes 258 

Sex-feelings;  relation  of  sex  to  conduct  and  development 259 

Morbid  pleasures  and  pains 260 

Lack  of  restraint  and  extreme  expression  of  feelings 260 

The  social  emotions  of  the  Negro 261 

• 
CHAPTER  VIII 

THE  NEGRO  PROBLEM:   AN  ESTIMATE  OF  THE  NEGRO 

Theories,  discussions  and  solutions  for  the  negro  problem    ....  262 

The  student  to  interpret  the  problem 264 

Requirements  for  an  effective  interpretation 265 

Research  into  conditions  of  the  negro  race  in  the  South 266 

General  conditions  of  the  Negro 267 

General  attitudes  and  tendencies 268 

Specific  traits;  psychological  processes  and  sociological  tendencies.  270 

Summary  of  character-tendencies  of  the  Negro 272 

Form  of  expression  of  predominant  traits 273 


12  CONTENTS 

PAGE 

An  estimate  of  the  Negro's  essential  qualities 274 

Qualifications  of  such  an  estimate 275 

The  Negro's  environment 276 

Industrial  conditions;  the  laborer 277 

The  problem  of  labor  in  the  South 278 

Unreliability  of  negro  labor  ....       279 

Growing  dissatisfaction 280 

South  prefers  negro  labor  in  general 281 

The  economic  value  of  the  Negro  to  the  state 282 

Poverty  and  the  accumulation  of  property 283 

The  better  economic  element  among  the  negroes 284 

Points  of  weakness 285 

Relations  between  whites  and  blacks;  political  and  social  equality  .  286 

The  explanation  of  the  extreme  race-feeling 287 

The  Negro's  development  must  be  through  a  slow  growth  ...  288 

The  Negro's  part  in  the  present  situation 289 

The  quality  of  hopefulness 291 

Necessity  of  the  whites 292 

Rational  thinking  and  policies  essential;  no  place  for  pessimism  .  .  293 

The  critic  answered  .   .   . 295 

The  best  outlook 296 

APPENDIX 

CHILDREN  DIFFER  IN  ENVIRONMENT 

By  Thomas  P.  Bailey,  Ph.  D.,  Supt.  of  Schools,  Memphis,  Tenn.  299 


INTRODUCTION 

DISCUSSIONS  of  the  Negro  in  the  South  have  become  .->o 
frequent  and  so  varied  that  he  may  well  be  called  the  cen 
tral  figure  in  Southern  problems.  But  the  Negro  is  too 
often  judged  only  partially.  The  North  estimates  him  by 
a  limited  number  of  industrious  and  competent  workmen 
and  by  the  more  intelligent  negroes.  In  the  South  the 
Negro  is  estimated  purely  from  everyday  contact  under 
domestic  and  industrial  conditions,  and  this  general  esti 
mate  of  the  black  man  is  influenced  much  by  what  is  heard 
about  him  in  common  talk  and  political  harangue.  The 
fact  is  neglected  that  the  Negro  has  a  life  and  environment 
of  his  own  which  the  whites  do  not  see,  which  after  all  may 
be  at  the  bottom  of  his  actions.  To  understand  the  real 
Negro,  he  must  be  known  in  his  home,  in  his  more  private 
activities,  at  his  church  and  lodge,  where,  as  a  rule,  he  is 
not  a  creature  of  restraint  in  his  natural  actions,  as  well  as 
in  the  common  appearances  of  the  Negro's  everyday  life. 

The  white  community  sees  the  destructive  factors  that  are 
at  work  among  the  negroes;  it  sees  little  of  the  construc 
tive  factors  that  make  for  better  conditions.  The  com 
munity  is  kept  informed  of  negro  crime  and  vice  through 
the  press,  the  courts,  and  the  common  trend  of  events  and 
conversation ;  of  the  negro  school  and  church,  whether  good 
or  crude,  it  sees  little.  Likewise,  little  attention  is  given  to 
the  rich  variety  of  negro  life,  negro  folk-songs  and  folk- 
thought,  to  the  inner  qualities  of  the  Negro's  nature  or  to 
the  essential  causes  of  his  conduct.  Observing  the  loafer 
317]  13 


J4  INTRODUCTION 

on  the  streets,  the  crowds  of  negroes  who  come  to  town  on 
Saturday,  the  jovial  good-natured  darkies,  or  the  formal 
appearances  of  groups  of  negroes  is  not  knowing  the  Negro; 
nor  can  he  be  judged  alone  from  the  laborer  or  the  criminal 
at  large. 

While  the  white  community  does  not  know  the  Negro  at 
his  best,  it  is  also  true  that  it  does  not  know  him  at  his  worst. 
Painful  as  the  fact  is,  it  must  nevertheless  be  recognized. 
The  negro  loafer  is  observed  on  the  street;  he  is  not  seen 
as  he  obtains  his  living  from  some  hard-working  woman 
who  has  toiled  for  her  wages,  nor  as  he  corrupts  other  mem 
bers  of  his  race.  The  community  sees  the  criminal  in  the 
courts;  it  does  not  see  the  long  train  of  crimes  that  has 
brought  him  there.  The  thoughtful  white  man  sees  the 
laborer  and  recognizes  such  a  negro  as  a  worthy  and  in 
dustrious  citizen;  but  the  white  man  does  not  see  him  as 
he  struggles — or  more  exactly  does  not  even  struggle — 
against  the  onrush  of  his  animal  nature  which  leads  him 
to  neglect  and  abuse  himself,  his  home  and  his  family.  It 
is  generally  admitted  that  the  Negro  does  not  get  justice 
on  many  occasions;  people  do  not  as  well  remember  that 
his  faults  are  often  overlooked.  Many  times  he  is  not  ap 
prehended  for  an  evil  for  which  the  white  man  is  punished. 
This  is  not  a  rare  but  a  common  experience.  Much  is 
heard  of  the  cases  brought  to  trial ;  the  world  hears  nothing 
of  the  frequent  instances  in  which  the  weakness  of  the  black 
race  is  accorded  patience  by  the  stronger  race. 

The  fact  that  there  are  individuals  among  the  negroes 
who  are  worthy  of  the  highest  respect  is  gladly  recognized 
and  gives  hope  that  better  possibilities  lie  within  the  race. 
Groups  or  communities  of  such  negroes  would  do  much  to 
ward  bettering  conditions ;  but  they  do  not  exist  in  this  re 
lation,  and  here,  perhaps,  may  be  found  the  key  to  the 
situation.  With  the  groups  of  families  the  community  is 


319]  INTRODUCTION  l$ 

formed,  associations  and  surroundings  are  fixed,  and  a  cen 
tral  point  from  which  a  greater  influence  emanates  is  deter 
mined.  The  group  communities  form  the  towns;  the  con 
ditions  of  the  county  are  largely  influenced  by  those  of  the 
town.  And  just  as  the  town  in  the  South  is  a  very  potent 
unit  in  the  total  social  structure,  just  so  the  larger  com 
munities  among  the  negroes  invariably  set  the  standard  of 
relationship,  both  among  the  negroes  themselves  a^id  be 
tween  the  whites  and  blacks.  To  know  the  Negro,  then,  in 
this  relation  of  groups  or  communities,  is  to  know  him  best ; 
to  assist  him  here  is  to  assist  him  most  effectively.  So  it  is 
the  purpose  of  this  work  to  study,  not  specimens  or  eccen 
tric  characters,  not  picturesque  or  sensational  phases  of 
negro  life,  but  representative  life  that  is  common  to  the 
great  mass  of  negroes;  to  find  out  something  of  his  home 
life,  his  labors,  his  faults  and  his  virtues,  his  school  ideals 
and  work,  his  social  life  and  standards,  his  lodge  life,  his 
church  and  his  religion.  In  short,  the  purpose  is  to  reach 
some  insight  into  what  the  Negro  appears  to  be  and  what  he 
really  is,  what  he  may  desire  to  be  and  what  he  may  possi 
bly  become  in  his  future  development. 

In  approaching  such  a  discussion  of  the  Negro,  it  is 
necessary  to  note  that  particulars  vary  widely ;  that  the  prob 
lem  is  different  in  every  state  and  county  and  community 
according  as  conditions  vary.  The  negroes  in  parts  of 
South  Carolina,  for  instance,  are  different  from  those  in 
Georgia  in  certain  particulars;  those  in  South  Mississippi 
are  quite  different  from  those  gathered  in  larger  towns  of 
the  South.  Again,  it  is  not  surprising  to  find  that  the  negro 
problem  hardly  exists  where  there  are  only  a  few  negroes. 
A  certain  county  in  Alabama  has  only  one  negro  to  every 
twenty-five  hundred  whites,  and  there  are  a  dozen  counties 
in  the  Southern  States  where  there  is  only  one  negro  to 
every  hundred  and  seventy-five  whites.  On  the  other  hand, 


!6  INTRODUCTION  [320 

there  are  fourteen  counties  in  the  South  where  seven-eighths 
of  the  people  are  negroes,  and  six  counties  in  Mississippi 
where  the  whites  form  less  than  ten  per  cent  of  the  popula 
tion.  Similarly  the  numerical  proportions  vary  in  different 
degrees  throughout  the  South. 

Again,  the  question  is  less  acute  and  complex  in  sections 
where  negroes  assume  a  submissive  and  deferential  attitude 
than  it  is  in  those  communities  where  they  assume  an  ob 
stinate  or  aggressive  attitude.  The  situation  is  different  in 
a  town  where  the  negroes  make  a  special  effort  to  pass  on 
the  outside  of  the  sidewalk  from  that  in  a  town  where  the 
opposite  is  true.  The  problem,  in  its  immediate  and  practi 
cal  aspects  is  different  in  the  cities  from  that  in  the  towns; 
that  in  the  towns  differs  from  that  in  the  country;  condi 
tions  in  the  rural  districts  themselves  vary  widely.  The 
negro  who  has  been  more  or  less  left  to  himself  is  quite 
different  from  the  negro  who,  by  constant  observation,  has 
sought  to  imitate  the  white  man's  culture  and  attainment 
on  the  one  hand,  or  who  has  assimilated  the  white  man's 
vices  on  the  other.  Conclusions  may  not  be  stated  dogma 
tically,  unless  qualified  to  include  numerous  exceptions.  In 
deed,  it  must  be  said  that  exceptions  to  the  general  rule  of 
conduct  are  notable  among  the  negroes.  Likewise  it  would 
be  a  serious  mistake  to  assume  that  all  negroes  are  alike  in 
character  and  conduct.  It  is  very  likely  that  the  great 
majority  of  negroes  in  these  communities  possess  the  weak 
nesses  and  defects  portrayed  in  the  following  pages,  but 
there  are  many  exceptions,  worthy  citizens  among  them  who 
play  an  important  part  in  the  general  life  of  the  commun 
ity.  The  other  extreme  which  asserts  that  these  character 
istics  are  not  representative  because  there  are  many  ex 
ceptions  is  as  ill-founded.  So  long  as  the  average  of  race 
characteristics  and  race  capacity  are  of  a  proved  order,  ex 
ceptional  cases  of  individual  development  will  not  suffice  to 


32 1  ]  INTRODUCTION  !7 

characterize  the  race.  For  the  millions  may  not  be  judged 
by  the  "submerged  tenth  "  nor  by  the  "  chosen  ten." 

But  it  is  possible  to  secure  and  formulate  results  obtained 
from  careful  studies  of  a  limited  number  of  communities, 
based  on  co-operation  on  the  part  of  negroes,  on  results 
obtained  by  many  who  have  labored  among  the  negroes,  on 
the  testimony  of  physicians  and  professional  men  of  repute, 
and  on  careful  concrete  studies  in  which  no  pains  has/been 
spared  to  make  them  accurate  and  exhaustive.  The  facts 
brought  out  by  these  studies  ought  surely  to  have  some 
value.  It  is  not  claimed  that  the  conclusions  reached  apply 
to  the  negro  race  as  a  whole  in  the  South  or  in  any  state; 
they  are  intended  to  be  qualitative  as  they  apply  to  certain 
phases  and  tendencies  of  life  in  the  communities  studied. 
But  they  are  applicable  to  a  large  number  of  communities 
in  the  South ;  and  while  these  towns  are  not  typical  in  every 
respect,  comparison  of  the  results  with  further  extensive  in 
quiry  seems  to  establish  the  fact  that  the  conditions  de 
scribed  in  this  work  are  similar  to  those  of  the  majority  of 
average  communities  in  the  South  composed  of  whites  and 
blacks. 

Fifty  towns  in  Mississippi,  Alabama,  Georgia,  Florida 
and  Tennessee,  most  of  which  are  county  seats,  were  taken 
as  the  main  basis  for  the  investigation  herein  presented. 
Their  population  varies  from  fifteen  hundred  to  ten  thous 
and  inhabitants,  the  average  being  about  four  thousand. 
Some  twenty  other  towns  representing  North  Carolina, 
South  Carolina,  Texas  and  Louisiana  were  studied  to  some 
extent  for  purposes  of  comparison.  In  the  chapter  on  the 
negro  criminal,  data  from  the  larger  cities  are  included 
also.  For  a  number  of  years  data  have  been  gathered 
from  all  possible  sources  in  the  Southern  States.  Con 
tinued  research  and  comparisons  for  verification  have  been 
made  for  two  years  since  the  first  work  was  summarized. 


jg  INTRODUCTION  [322 

The  studies  strive  to  emphasize  the  most  important  phases 
of  the  problem,  which  are,  for  the  most  part,  at  the  same 
time  those  most  neglected.  The  study  is  one  of  town  life 
rather  than  city  or  rural ;  it  is  further  a  study  of  community 
relationship,  showing  something  of  negro  life  as  it  is  related 
to  the  whites.  The  work  is  qualitative  and  its  purpose  is 
to  get  at  a  proper  beginning  rather  than  to  generalize  on 
ultimate  solutions. 

The  difficulties  in  the  way  of  making  accurate  investiga 
tions  into  the  conditions  of  negro  life  are  greater  than 
can  be  realized  by  one  who  has  not  undertaken  the  task. 
Aids  in  making  investigations  must  be  had  from  6oth  whites 
and  blacks.  The  whites,  for  the  most  part,  are  lacking  in 
accurate  knowledge  of  specific  existing  conditions ;  the  blacks 
are  very  untrustworthy  and  secretive.  Among  the  whites 
there  is  an  abundance  of  general  knowledge  and  opinions 
about  the  Negro ;  but  accurate  information  which  can  be  put 
in  tangible  form  is  almost  entirely  wanting.  This  ignor 
ance  of  vital  particulars  is  surprising.  Again,  it  is  difficult 
to  obtain  accurate  information  from  public  records,  from 
officers  and  clerks,  since  there  is  little  provision  made  for 
the  separation  even  of  the  more  significant  and  important 
statistics  of  whites  and  blacks.  The  negroes  are  by  nature 
and  cultivation  secretive.  The  average  black  seldom  gives 
correct  information  in  regard  to  more  important  details. 
Most  negroes  are  skilful  in  making  up  plausible  stories 
even  as  they  talk;  they  often  expand  on  minute  details  hav 
ing  no  foundation  in  fact.  It  is  only  wheri  the  more  reliable 
negroes  feel  confident  that  the  information  is  sought  by  a 
sincere  searcher  and  that  the  purpose  is  friendly,  that  any 
effort  on  the  Negro's  part  is  made  to  convey  the  desired  in 
formation.  Conclusions  based  upon  testimony,  whether 
from  whites  or  blacks,  if  they  are  to  be  reliable,  can  be 
reached  only  through  repeated  inquiry  from  various  sources, 


323]  INTRODUCTION  IOy 

and  by  carefully  checking  all  results.  This  method  has 
been  followed  in  these  investigations ;  in  this  way,  too,  com 
parative  data  have  been  invaluable. 

Other  difficulties  present  themselves.  There  is  a  marked 
tendency  on  the  part  of  the  whites  to  look  with  suspicion 
and  ridicule  upon  all  searchers  after  facts  about  the  Negro. 
They  are,  moreover,  considered  as  mere  theorists.  Such  an 
attitude  is  not  without  a  good  foundation  in  some  respects; 
but  this  does  not  change  the  difficulty  or  differentiate  be 
tween  the  real  student  and  the  false.  Furthermore,  the 
motive  and  attitude  of  persons  making  investigations  are 
likely  to  be  misunderstood  by  the  negroes,  who  interpret 
the  efforts  as  very  beneficial  to  them  or  as  harmful.  Fin 
ally,  the  student  finds  difficulty  in  holding  himself  to  the 
persistent,  sustained,  and  laborious  effort  that  a  searching 
investigation  requires.  Many  incidents  growing  out  of  the 
efforts  to  secure  his  information  are  repulsive,  not  to  say 
nauseous  and  gruesome.  Only  the  hardiest  scientific  inter 
est  in  discoverable  facts  can  sustain  the  investigator.  These 
conditions,  together  with  the  fact  that  the  tendency  of  both 
the  popular  and  scientific  mind  seems  to  be  slow  in  reward 
ing  such  investigations,  has  sufficed  to  make  most  investiga 
tions  general  and  superficial. 

The  student  who  seeks  for  the  truth  must  begin  at  the 
bottom,  take  the  position  that  he  knows  little  of  his  subject, 
and  welcome  all  true  information  that  may  come  to  him. 
Experience  in  this  process  and  the  results  gained  by  the  in 
vestigation  lead  to  the  hope  that  it  is  not  expecting  too  much 
of  the  ordinary  reader  if  he  is  asked  to  assume  the  same  at 
titude.  Nothing  can  be  accomplished  of  lasting  results  un 
less  the  essential  qualities  of  the  Negro  are  known ;  it  is  im 
portant  that  the  Negro  should  know  himself.  The  acquire 
ment  of  such  knowledge  must  necessarily  precede  any  effec 
tive  movements  for  the  betterment  of  the  race  or  for  better 


20  INTRODUCTION  [324 

relations  between  the  races.  It  is  hoped,  then,  that  these 
studies  may  assist  to  some  extent  in  bringing  about  a  desire 
for  further  research,  a  desire  which  must  precede  the  atti 
tude  in  which  sentiment  is  informed  with  knowledge.  It  is 
well,  too,  for  the  Negro  to  see  himself  as  he  is  seen  from  a 
different  viewpoint  than  his  own.  Perhaps  the  majority  of 
negroes  never  comprehend  their  situation  at  all.  There  is, 
however,  hope  that  the  Negro  desires  to  comprehend  the  es 
sential  weaknesses  of  the  race.  Is  it  possible  that  the  lead 
ers  of  the  race  and  the  more  intelligent  among  them  shall 
permit  their  people  to  retrograde?  Shall  that  happen, 
which  has  seldom  occurred  in  the  history  of  mankind, 
namely,  that  out  of  the  darkness  of  race  ignorance  and 
savagery  there  should  arise  a  few  generations  with  promise 
of  character  and  worth,  only  for  the  race  to  fall  back  toward 
barbarism,  retaining  only  the  vices  of  the  civilization  that 
touched  their  lives?  To  those  of  the  negroes  who  are  in 
earnest  a  true  picture  of  their  relation  to  the  community 
and  an  indication  of  probable  tendencies  will  be  of  service. 
As  has  already  been  suggested,  this  work  should  not  be 
taken  as  a  general  study  and  as  necessarily  embodying  final 
conclusions.  It  is  hoped  that  other  searchers  will  follow 
and,  where  the  facts  are  different  from  those  here  presented, 
will  set  them  forth  clearly  and  without  prejudice.  It  is 
not  assumed  in  this  work  that  because  certain  traits  and 
characteristics  are  manifested  by  the  Negro  under  certain 
conditions,  that  they  are  therefore  peculiar  to  the  Negro. 
The  facts  are  stated  in  their  order;  the  entire  conclusion 
can  be  reached  and  interpreted  only  through  the  entire  pic 
ture  as  portrayed  in  the  total  results.  The  whole  discussion 
is  necessary  before  arriving  at  the  meaning  of  the  whole 
situation;  and  it  is  not  a  part  but  the  complete  picture  that 
should  be  seen.  If  there  are  those  who  have  come  in  con 
tact  with  the  better  negroes  only,  or  have  had  a  very  limited 


o2r]  INTRODUCTION  21 

experience,  and  yet  assume  to  know  the  whole  subject  in  its 
practical  application  better  than  those  who  have  lived  in 
touch  with  its  most  vital  problems,  and  have  come  to  feel 
the  full  significance  of  every  phase  of  the  subject,  to  such, 
these  glimpses  are  respectfully  submitted,  with  the  hope  that 
they  may  investigate  the  truth  or  falsity  of  the  assertions 
and  come  to  see  conditions  as  they  are. 

While  in  the  South  the  Negro  is  permitted  a  wide^range 
of  employment,  at  the  same  time  that  exacting  requirements 
are  placed  upon  his  conduct,  still  there  is  little  interest  felt, 
little  knowledge  had,  concerning  his  home  life  and  private 
conduct.  But  there  is  apparently  a  growing  desire  to  know 
more  of  the  Negro  from  impartial  sources,  more  respect  for 
earnest  study  of  the  situation,  an  increase  in  the  number 
of  persons  downright  in  earnest  in  the  study  of  the  Negro, 
and  a  gratifying  gain  in  the  number  of  those  inclined  to  im 
partiality,  firmness  and  fairness,  who  feel  the  full  signifi 
cance  of  at  least  the  immediate  situation.  The  relations 
between  the  better  elements  of  both  races  seem  to  be  im 
proving  and  there  seems  to  be  a  growing  tendency  on  the 
part  of  leaders  to  make  every  effort  to  get  together.  It  is 
surprising  and  gratifying  to  note  the  co-operation  of  the 
best  element  of  the  negroes  in  systematic  inquiry  when  once 
they  are  assured  that  the  purpose  of  the  work  is  friendly. 
This  fact  gives  hope  that  impositions  will  cease  and  the  at 
titude  between  the  races  may  approach  a  normally  desirable 
one.  There  is  still  opportunity  for  an  understanding  be 
tween  the  races.  The  situation  calls  for  wise  and  positive 
action ;  the  demand  is  for  sincere  utterance  based  on  reason 
and  knowledge. 

Nor  can  the  importance  of  a  proper  study  of  so  vital  a 
problem  be  doubted.  Much  has  been  said  and  written 
concerning  various  "  solutions  "  of  the  problem.  It  is  ex 
tremely  doubtful  if  there  is  sufficient  evidence  as  yet  to  per- 


22  INTRODUCTION  [326 

mit  a  prediction  of  the  outcome.  The  problem  is  one  of 
time,  subject  to  unforeseen  social,  political,  and  industrial 
influences.  It  may  be  possible,  within  a  comparatively  small 
number  of  years,  to  ascertain  the  direction  which  the  solu 
tion  will  take.  In  the  meantime,  it  is  but  reasonable — it 
is  essential — that  the  problem  have,  for  the  present,  more 
study  and  less  discussion.  It  is  but  right  that  the  Negro 
Problem  be  given  the  same  consideration  and  study  with 
the  practical  applications  given  other  social  and  industrial 
problems,  and  that  the  racial  element  be  recognized.  The 
study  which  follows  has  special  reference  to  such  a  policy, 
and  the  tentative  conclusions  arc  given  with  a  partial  view 
to  popular  interpretation. 


CHAPTER  I 

NEGRO  SCHOOLS  AND  THE  EDUCATION  OF  THE  NEGRO 

THE  question  of  the  mental  and  moral  training  -6f  the 
Negro  has  constituted  the  greatest  problem  to  be  solved  in 
all  efforts  to  improve  the  negro  race.  Southern  leaders 
have  sought  to  know  the  duty  of  the  South  in  the  matter  of 
educating  the  Negro ;  they  have  earnestly  desired  methods 
by  which  the  best  results  might  be  obtained  and  have  sought 
the  means  of  reaching  these  ends.  Northern  philanthro- 
ists,  too,  have  sought  to  assist  in  educating  the  negroes  and 
have  given  liberally  to  the  cause.  At  the  same  time,  there 
has  been  no  phase  of  the  Southern  problem  in  regard  to 
which  there  has  been  a  greater  difference  of  opinion,  more 
discussion  and  harangue,  more  fanaticism  and  misguided 
philanthropy,  and  upon  which  there  has  been  more  wasted 
energy  and  means.  And  to-day  the  situation  is  scarcely 
changed ;  after  years  of  work  under  the  methods  which  have 
been  used,  after  all  the  experiments  that  have  been  made, 
and  after  all  the  changes  that  have  been  suggested,  wherein 
sentiment  has  often  played  too  important  a  part,  the  situ 
ation  still  remains  a  puzzling  one.  While  the  schools  for 
the  negroes  are  in  many  cases  apparently  doing  good  work, 
they  are  not  producing  and  have  not  produced  results  which 
were  expected  of  them.  To-day  the  problem  is  more  seri 
ous  than  ever  before  and  each  year  renders  it  more  complex 
and  unyielding  to  any  definite  solution. 

Inquiry  into  the  problem  of  educating  the  Negro  suggests 
several  important  aspects  of  the  situation.  First,  the  ques- 
327]  23 


24       SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [328 

tion  of  the  results  of  past  efforts  to  educate  the  negroes, 
judged  by  the  younger  generations,  is  of  immediate  im 
portance.  Second,  what  are  the  present  school  conditions 
which  obtain  among  the  negroes  and  to  what  extent  and 
with  what  degree  of  accuracy  can  they  be  said  to  apply? 
Third,  what  is  the  exact  problem  of  race  inheritance  and 
conditions  of  negro  children?  What  is  their  capacity  for 
education,  and  what  sort  of  education  is  best  adapted  to 
their  needs  and  capacities?  Fourth,  what  are  the  possi 
bilities  of  the  future  and  what  are  the  essential  needs  of 
the  situation  ?  Finally,  will  education  save  the  Negro  from 
his  weaknesses? 

The  extent  to  which  education  has  succeeded  in  helping 
the  Negro  may  not  yet  be  known  fully.  It  is  possible,  how 
ever,  to  estimate  the  general  results  which  education  in  the 
past  has  had  upon  the  negroes  of  the  present  generation. 
Such  an  estimate  will  be  found,  not  only  in  the  study  of 
negro  schools  and  education,  but  also  in  the  careful  study 
of  the  Negro's  home  life  and  morals,  his  record  of  crime, 
his  industrial  and  social  status,  his  social  and  religious  life, 
and  his  general  conduct,  traits  and  tendencies.  Likewise, 
the  question  of  race  inheritance  and  capacity  for  education, 
and  the  general  possibilities  of  the  future  can  be  fully  stated 
only  in  a  thorough  consideration  of  the  entire  problem  of 
negro  life.  In  this  beginning  chapter,  therefore,  the  prob 
lem  involved  in  the  various  aspects  of  the  subject  will  be 
stated  only  briefly,  the  present  conditions  and  facilities  of 
negro  schools  described  in  a  general  way,  and  the  question 
of  adapting  special  methods  of  education  to  the  negroes  will 
be  raised.  This  main  problem  should  be  kept  in  mind 
throughout  the  discussions  and  the  facts  related  in  the  studies 
herein  presented  should  be  applied  to  its  consideration.  The 
total  problem  may  then  be  estimated  and  considered  at  the 
conclusion  of  the  work. 


329]  NEGRO  SCHOOLS  AND  EDUCATION  2$ 

The  scope  of  the  entire  problem  of  educating  the  Negro 
in  the  South  is  measured  by  the  total  number  and  condition 
of  the  negroes  in  the  Southern  States.  The  numerical  ex 
tent  to  which  an  immediate  beginning  may  be  made  through 
the  younger  generations  is  determined  by  the  number  of 
educable  negro  children  and  the  proportion  of  those  attend 
ing  school,  with  the  degrees  of  regularity,  to  those  who  do 
not  attend.  According  to.  the  special  studies  made  by  the 
Census  Bureau  from  the  last  Census  there  were  in  the  South 
ern  States — Texas,  Louisiana,  Mississippi,  Alabama, 
Georgia,  Florida,  Tennessee,  North  Carolina,  South  Caro 
lina,  and  Virginia — 2,369,621  negroes  of  school  age.  Of 
these  only  717,130  were  enrolled,  or,  of  all  the  educable 
children  among  the  negroes  in  these  states,  only  thirty  per 
cent  attended  school  at  all.  Of  this  thirty  per  cent,  again, 
a  little  over  thirty-four  per  cent  were  in  attendance  from 
two  to  three  months  during  the  year;  a  little  more  than 
thirty-one  per  cent  from  four  to  five  months;  twenty-eight 
per  cent  for  six  months,  and  six  per  cent  were  in  attendance 
for  only  one  month  in  the  year.  In  Alabama,  Georgia, 
North  Carolina  and  South  Carolina,  the  average  was  great 
est  for  those  who  attended  from  two  to  three  months  in  the 
year ;  in  Florida,  Mississippi  and  Virginia  from  four  to  five 
months;  and  in  Louisiana,  Texas,  and  Tennessee  for  six 
months.  Georgia  had  the  largest  number  of  negro  children 
of  school  age  of  any  state,  having  356,667  enumerable 
colored  children;  of  these  only  110,586  were  in  attendance. 
Mississippi,  ranking  second  with  315,422  negro  children, 
had  125,850  in  attendance,  the  largest  number  attending 
school  in  any  state.  In  every  state  considered  there  was  an 
excess  of  females  over  males  in  the  school  attendance  of 
the  negroes ;  the  average  ratio  was  forty-seven  males  to  fifty- 
three  females.  From  five  to  nine  years  of  age  the  males 
were  nearly  as  many  as  the  females.  Among  the  whites 


26       SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [330 

the  males  were  in  excess  of  females  about  four  to  every 
thousand.  Among  the  whites,  again,  only  one-fourth 
of  the  teachers  were  males,  while  among  the  negroes 
from  one-third  to  two-fifths  were  males.  Among  the 
negroes  the  teachers  were  older  than  among  the  whites, 
the  average  for  the  negroes  being  thirty-two  years,  while 
for  the  whites  it  was  much  less.  Likewise  young  male  teach 
ers  are  far  less  numerous  among  the  negroes  than  among 
the  whites. 

Results  to  be  obtained  in  the  effort  to  educate  the  Negro 
through  the  present  school  system  are  further  conditioned 
upon  the  school  facilities  offered  to  the  negroes,  the  degree 
to  which  they  take  advantage  of  them,  and  the  character 
of  their  teachers  and  the  quality  of  work  done.  The  schools 
described  in  this  work  are  those  of  the  better  class  which 
are  found  among  the  negroes  of  the  average  community. 
They  do  not  include  the  negro  colleges  and  special  schools 
on  the  one  hand,  nor  the  poorer  schools  of  the  rural  dis 
tricts,  on  the  other.  Negro  schools  differ  widely  in  particu 
lars  according  as  they  are  affected  by  the  ideals  and  prac 
tices  of  the  negroes,  the  facilities  available,  and  the  super 
vision  of  the  whites.  It  is  possible,  however,  to  indicate 
much  of  the  general  nature  of  working  conditions  among 
the  average  negro  schools.  The  negro  school  house  is 
usually  located  in  or  near  one  of  the  negro  sections  of  the 
town.1  Most  communities  of  the  kind  studied  have  only 
one  building  so  that  many  of  the  children  who  do  not  live 
in  the  immediate  vicinity  must  walk  some  distance,  not  in 
frequently  from  the  opposite  part  of  the  town  through  the 
business  portion,  to  attend  school.  A  private  school  with 
a  small  enrollment  is  not  uncommon.  Likewise  a  few  in 
dustrial  and  charitable  institutions  are  found;  but  the  gen- 

1  For  the  location  of  negro  sections  of  the  town  see  Chapter  IV. 


331]  NEGRO  SCHOOLS  AND  EDUCATION  2J 

eral  conditions  in  such  schools  do  not  differ  materially  from 
those  of  the  ordinary  schools.  The  school  buildings  of  the 
negroes  do  not  compare  favorably  with  the  negro  churches 
of  the  same  community.  The  former  are  erected  by  the 
whites,  and  the  funds  are  appropriated  from  the  general  edu 
cational  funds,  the  greater  part  of  which  is  contributed  by 
the  whites,  while  the  churches  are  built  by  the  negroes  with 
the  assistance  of  the  whites.  The  school  houses-' of  the 
negroes  are  simple  and  plain  but  usually  comfortable  with 
a  seating  capacity  for  nearly  half  of  the  negro  children  of 
the  town.  The  crowded  conditions  in  which  negro  children 
are  often  kept  in  school  furnishes  one  of  the  most  unsatis 
factory  features  of  negro  school  conditions.  Altogether 
school  facilities  for  the  negroes  may  be  said  to  be  about  one- 
fourth  as  adequate  as  those  for  the  whites.  Still  the  neces 
sary  equipment  for  the  working  of  the  school  is  increased  in 
most  cases  as  it  is  judiciously  used  by  the  negroes.  The 
white  board  of  education  often  finds  it  necessary  to  limit  the 
negro  schools  in  supplies,  owing  to  the  tendency  toward 
unnecessary  wastefulness.  In  most  cases  the  negroes  re 
ceive  whatever  facilities  and  appropriations  are  given  them 
apparently  with  little  interest,  and  they  do  not  undertake  to 
increase  these  facilities  by  their  own  efforts  and  contribu 
tions.  Negro  teachers  are  selected,  salaries  named  and  ap 
propriations  made  by  the  white  board  of  education.  The 
management  of  the  school  generally  is  supervised  by  the 
superintendent  of  the  white  schools.  It  is  true,  however, 
that  many  of  the  whites  are  careless  and  negligent  in  select 
ing  teachers  and  in  equipping  schools,  and  the  white  super 
intendents,  as  a  rule,  show  little  interest  in  the  work  of  the 
negro  schools  and  teachers. 

There  is  an  average  of  one  teacher  for  every  fifty  to 
seventy-five  pupils  enrolled,  and  for  every  thirty  to  seventy 
in  attendance.  The  principals  of  the  schools,  the  majority 


2g       SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [332 

of  whom  are  male  teachers,  are  paid  an  average  of  forty- 
seven  dollars  a  month;  the  assistants  are  paid  an  average 
of  twenty-four  dollars  a  month.  The  length  of  the  school 
term  is  usually  the  same  as  for  the  whites.  Tuition  is  free 
to  all  resident  students  of  the  town,  and  non-residents  pay 
only  during  the  months — usually  September,  October  and 
April — when  the  public  school  fund  is  not  distributed.  In 
the  majority  of  instances  the  school  facilities  and  the  num 
ber  of  teachers  are  reasonably  adequate  to  meet  the  actual 
demands  of  the  negroes,  but  there  are  numerous  exceptions. 
A  town  in  which  the  negro  school  enrolled  two  hundred  and 
sixty-two  pupils,  with  an  average  attendance  of  one  hundred 
and  forty-six,  employed  but  two  teachers.  That  is,  for  each 
teacher  there  were  enrolled  one  hundred  and  thirty-one 
pupils  and  seventy-three  were  in  actual  attendance.  The 
building,  which  was  inadequate,  was  rented  for  the  negroes 
by  the  whites.  In  a  larger  town  there  were  enrolled  five  hun 
dred  and  seventy-five  pupils,  with  an  average  attendance  of 
three  hundred  and  twenty;  for  this  number  six  teachers 
were  employed.  Thus,  there  was  an  average  enrollment  of 
ninety-five  pupils  and  an  average  attendance  of  fifty-three 
for  each  teacher.  There  were  in  the  town  seventeen  hun 
dred  and  seventy-three  enumerable  negro  children,  or,  for 
every  teacher  employed  in  the  colored  schools  there  were 
some  three  hundred  pupils  in  the  community.  The  prin 
cipal  of  this  school  received  forty-five  dollars  a  month,  the 
first  assistant  thirty  dollars,  and  the  other  four  teachers 
twenty  dollars  a  month  each.  With  such  averages  of  pay 
for  the  negro  teachers,  many  do  not  earn  their  salaries  when 
the  value  of  their  efforts  is  considered,  while  others  earn 
more  than  double  the  amount  they  are  paid.  In  all  cases 
it  is  to  be  expected  that  such  teachers  would  be  of  only 
ordinary  ability  and  it  is  not  surprising  that  the  superin 
tendents  of  the  white  schools  should  express  the  opinion  that 
the  negro  schools  are  not  doing  good  work. 


333]  NEGRO  SCHOOLS  AND  EDUCATION  2g 

The  average  attendance  of  pupils  is  sixty-four  per  cent 
of  the  total  enrollment.  The  highest  average  attendance 
found  was  eighty-three  per  cent  and  the  lowest  was  forty- 
six  per  cent.  These  figures  represent  the  average  attend 
ance  of  the  entire  school  for  the  whole  year  and  are  obtained 
from  reports  of  the  teachers,  in  which  any  part  of  a  day  is 
counted  as  a  full  day.  It  is  apparent  that  in  some  cases 
the  actual  attendance  is  not  so  good  as  reported  by  tlje  teach 
ers,  but  in  many  cases  careful  records  are  kept  and  the  teach 
ers  make  out  their  reports  with  pride.  Examinations  of  re 
ports  for  an  entire  year  show  that  few  pupils  attend  school 
with  any  degree  of  regularity.  The  enrollment  for  each 
month,  although  differing  little  in  numbers,  is  not  infre 
quently  composed  of  almost  entirely  different  pupils.  Usu 
ally,  however,  there  are  a  few  pupils  in  each  school  who  at 
tend  for  the  greater  number  of  days  in  each  month  in  which 
they  are  enrolled.  A  few  are  not  absent  from  school  dur 
ing  any  days  for  several  months;  such  pupils  usually  come 
from  one  or  two  families  in  the  community,  indicating 
that  the  head  of  the  family  is  interested  in  the  schooling  of 
the  children.  They  are  the  most  neatly  dressed  pupils  in 
the  school  and  most  attentive  to  their  school  duties.  But 
the  great  majority  of  negro  children  attend  school  regularly 
only  for  the  first  few  weeks  after  their  enrollment,  or  for  the 
first  few  days  following  the  opening  of  a  new  term.  Some 
days  the  teacher  finds  almost  a  full  attendance  while  the 
very  next  day  may  witness  the  absence  of  nearly  half  of  his 
pupils.  Many  negro  children  do  not  attend  school  at  all. 
This  irregularity  of  attendance  and  non-attendance  is  one 
of  the  chief  obstacles  in  the  way  of  effective  teaching  even 
where  the  teachers  are  good. 

Many  men  of  the  North  and  some  Southerners  have  as 
sumed  that  the  only  reason  for  the  lack  of  attendance  on  the 
part  of  negro  children  was  a  lack  of  equipment  in  the  schools 


30       SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [334 

and  that  thereby  an  injustice  is  being  done  the  negro.  They 
have  not  ascertained  whether  the  negroes  are  using  the  op 
portunities  given  them,  nor  to  what  extent  other  causes 
operate  in  causing  small  and  irregular  attendance.  It  is 
important  that  an  impartial  inquiry  be  made.  Inquiries 
among  the  whites  produce  little  definite  knowledge  of  the 
situation.  The  general  opinion  is  that  the  negroes  do  not 
contribute  means  for  their  own  education,  do  not  use  what 
facilities  they  have,  and  do  not  comprehend  in  any  sense  of 
the  word  the  purpose  of  education.  Inquiries  and  observa 
tions  among  the  negroes  reveal  some  of  the  prevalent  causes 
for  poor  attendance.1  It  is  the  consensus  of  opinion  among 

1  Something  of  the  attitude  of  mind  in  which  actual  conditions  are 
viewed  by  negro  principals  of  schools  may  be  learned  from  a  study  of 
the  reasons  assigned  by  them  for  poor  attendance;  likewise  much 
may  be  learned  of  actual  conditions.  The  following  are  exact 
quotations:  "Parents  indifferent  to  needs,  hence  cannot  be  reached." 
"A  lack  of  appreciation  of  the  value  of  an  education  on  the 
part  of  the  parents."  "  Parental  indifference  as  to  compelling 
children  to  attend,  parents  catering  to  whims  of  children."  "  False 
notions  as  to  pride  in  dress."  "Distance  of  house  too  far  for 
smaller  children."  "  Poverty."  "  Lack  of  interest."  "  Public  school 
facilities  not  good."  "Children  work  out  as  nurses,  etc."  "Ignorance 
on  part  of  parents."  "  Only  one  house — not  large  enough  for  all,  in 
northern  part  of  city."  "  I  do  not  know  the  reason."  "  Leave  school 
to  work."  "  Poor  school  comforts  and  attractions."  "  Too  small  a 
number  of  teachers."  "  Indifference  on  the  part  of  city  officials." 
"  Parents'  objection  to  proper  school  room  rule  enforcement."  "  The 
tendency  of  the  age  toward  ease  and  superficiality."  "  Parents  of  chil 
dren  take  no  interest  in  the  schooling  of  their  children,  they  seem  to 
forget  the  main  things  or  truths  that  will  make  a  race  out  of  the  youth." 
"  To  a  great  extent  our  people  do  not  see  really  the  benefits  of  an 
education."  "  Parents  who  are  totally  ignorant  fear  that  his  child  will 
be  ruined  by  education."  "A  lack  of  interest  on  the  part  of  school 
officers  and  teachers."  "  The  town  boy  goes  to  school  until  he  is  12  or 
14  and  then  he  feels  that  a  job  can  not  do  without  him."  "  Some  of  my 
people  have  not  yet  learned  the  value  of  school  privileges."  "  They 
would  come,  practically  all  of  them,  but  I  would  not  have  a  place  to 
put  them  or  extra  teacher  to  teach  them,  as  the  appropriation  is  small 


335]  NEGRO  SCHOOLS  AND  EDUCATION  ^ 

the  majority  of  the  best  negro  teachers  that  the  greatest 
obstacle  lies  in  the  weakness  of  the  race  rather  than  in  a 
lack  of  facilities.  Thus  one  of  the  principals  of  a  colored 
school  analyzed  the  causes  for  unsatisfactory  attendance: 

Many  of  our  children  don't  attend  school  because  we 
teachers  are  incompetent ;  because  many  of  the  parents  simply 
dislike  their  teachers;  because  some  parents  prefer  Baptist 
teachers ;  because  many  children  have  their  own  wyy  about 
everything  they  do ;  because  many  children  do  not  like  a  strict 
teacher;  because  some  parents  contend  for  a  fine  brick  building 
for  the  school;  because  as  a  whole  many  parents  are  too 
ignorant  and  niggardly  and  prejudiced  and  contentious  to  do 
anything  aright.  Yet  we  here  have  enrolled  about  one  hundred 
and  fifty  pupils  this  session  in  spite  of  the  Devil! 

Observations  and  studies  seem  to  show  that  the  causes  just 
mentioned  are  the  principal  hindrances  to  efficient  school 
work  among  the  negroes.     The  limitations  and  ignorance^— i 
of  the  black  man  make  the  saddest  story  that  is  told  in  all    / 
his  life.     There  is  no  knowledge  of  the  truth  and  no  in 
terest  in  its  teaching.     With  such  ignorance  there  can  be    ; 
no  proper  conception  of  education  or  ideals  to  which  the 

and  space  limited,  we  are  crowded  to  death  with  the  present  situation." 
"  Ignorant  parents  and  inherited  tendencies  on  the  part  of  the  chil 
dren."  "  Lack  of  incentives  from  surroundings — seem  to  think  little 
or  no  education  is  required  to  do  what  the  colored  people  can  get  to 
do.  Not  more  than  one  child  in  a  hundred  seems  to  want  to  be  a 
preacher  or  teacher  and  think  education  is  not  needed  to  learn  trades 
and  few  even  desire  to  learn  them."  "  Slothfulness  and  negligence  on 
the  part  of  the  parents."  "  They  do  not  want  or  desire  to  be  brought 
under  proper  control."  "  Environment  about  the  school  house,  no 
furniture,  maps,  desks,  etc.,  as  they  should  be."  "  Children  becoming 
breadwinners  on  account  of  death  of  the  father."  "  Few  do  not  at 
tend  some  part  of  the  nine  months,  they  will  come  some  part  of  the 
term."  "  My  people  are  not  prepared  educationally,  a  large  percentum 
of  them,  to  know  the  real  importance  of  education,  for  which  reason- 
in  my  mind  is  the  cause  largely  for  their  children  not  attending." 


32       SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [336 

school  should  develop.  Poverty  and  misguided  conceptions 
of  life,  jealousy  and  distorted  notions  in  general — all  com 
bine  to  keep  the  children  away  from  school  and  from  at 
tending  regularly.  Denominational  prejudice  and  personal 
interest  determine  much  of  the  teacher's  popularity,  and 
rarely,  if  ever,  does  the  question  of  his  equipment  enter  into 
the  chief  consideration.  An  example  will  illustrate:  In  a 
town  where  three  teachers  are  employed  in  the  colored 
school,  a  petition  was  signed  and  brought  to  the  board  of 
trustees  in  behalf  of  a  candidate  for  the  position  of  prin 
cipal.  Three  years  previous  to  the  circulating  of  the  peti 
tion  the  negro  whom  the  patrons  wanted  for  principal  had 
committed  a  murder — a  white  man — in  the  same  town  and 
was  cleared  in  the  courts  on  some  technicality.  He  had  been 
away  from  the  town,  but  had  returned  and  wanted  the 
school ;  his  case,  too,  was  a  well-known  one  among  the 
negroes  and  had  attracted  considerable  attention.  The  good 
teacher,  on  the  other  hand,  is  not  appreciated.  The  negroes 
further  complain  that  they  are  not  given  proper  facilities, 
and  because  they  are  displeased  they  refuse  to  make  use  of 
those  which  they  have.  They  desire  that  everything  be 
given  them  and  wait  for  this  end;  yet  they  are  not  willing 
to  improve  or  increase  what  has  been  given  them.  They 
show  little  pride  in  keeping  the  school  buildings  and  grounds 
clean ;  the  houses  and  yards  are  not  improved.  Were 
the  average  community  to  devote  the  same  kind  of  interest 
and  energy  that  is  given  to  church  and  lodge  to  the  school, 
within  a  few  years  the  negroes  would  find  their  interest  in 
the  schooling  of  their  children  increased  many  fold.  This 
apparently  is  given  little  serious  thought  among  the  negroes. 
The  average  of  intelligence  among  negro  teachers  in 
town  and  country  is  low,  and  their  education  is  meagre. 
A  small  per  cent  have  an  accurate  knowledge  of  spelling  and 
reading  and  the  simpler  principles  of  Arithmetic.  One  may 


337]  NEGRO  SCHOOLS  AND  EDUCATION  33 

read  dozens  of  examination  papers,  handed  in  by  negro 
teachers  in  vain  to  find  one  free  from  ridiculous  blunders 
in  the  simplest  spelling  and  usage.  The  prevailing  ignor 
ance  is  nothing  less  than  astonishing;  and  the  condi 
tions  would  seem  incredible  were  it  not  for  the  fact  that 
the  evidence  is  incontestable.  Page  after  page  could  be 
filled  with  such  evidence  gleaned  from  the  school  room  and 
examination  papers  of  those  upon  whom  rests  the  respon 
sibility  of  teaching  the  negro  youth.  The  negro  teacner  has 
little  reasoning  power  or  depth  of  originality.  There  is 
little  of  the  principle  of  honor  among  them — they  do  not 
comprehend  it.  They  do  not  regard  cheating  on  examin 
ations  for  license  to  teach  as  a  serious  offence ;  and  whereas 
a  white  teacher  discovered  cheating  on  examination  is  dis 
qualified  for  teaching,  the  cheating  of  the  negro  is  often 
countenanced. 

The  colored  teachers  employed  in  the  schools  of  the  towns 
studied  are  of  a  much  higher  order  than  those  just  men 
tioned.  The  average  of  intelligence  is  higher;  they  are 
better  educated  and  more  earnest  in  their  work.  They  have 
a  broader  conception  of  the  needs  of  the  children  whom 
they  are  to  teach.  They  have  an  honest  purpose  to  serve 
well  their  people.  It  is  doubtful  if  any  worker  among  the 
negroes  has  more  difficulties  to  overcome  than  has  the 
negro  teacher.  He  must  fight  day  after  day  against  ignor 
ance  and  superstition,  himself  a  victim.  He  must  struggle 
against  prejudice  and  irregular  support  from  parents  and 
pupils.  He  must  fight  his  way  for  the  most  part  alone. 
He  must  face  inadequate  facilities  and  know  that  he  is  fail 
ing  in  his  work  as  it  is  reflected  in  the  great  majority  of  his 
pupils.  The  earnest  negro  teacher  is  good  in  so  far  as  he 
knows  how  to  be.  He  often  has  false  ideas  of  knowledge 
and  education  but  it  is  because  of  false  ideas  in  the  race. 
And  the  negro  preacher  whose  highest  ambition  is  often  to 


34       SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [338 

preach  with  the  "  big  words  of  the  elements  of  knowledge  " 
is  responsible  for  a  great  part  of  this  conception.  The 
better  negro  teacher  is  the  most  honest  and  sincere  leader 
to  be  found  in  all  the  race.  Patient  and  persistent,  earnest 
and  honest,  humble,  yet  sensitive  to  all  interests  of  his  peo 
ple,  following  the  best  guidance  he  has,  often  vainly  seek 
ing  for  light,  striving  to  increase  his  efficiency,  conscientious 
in  his  work,  and  appreciative  of  all  true  co-operation  and 
criticism — this  man  deserves  the  highest  tribute  that  can 
be  given  him. 

In  the  average  school  among  the  negroes  there  is  a  gen 
eral  lack  of  order  in  the  routine  of  daily  teaching  in  the 
school  room.  There  are  many,  however,  which  follow  a 
definite  schedule  and  are  systematic  as  far  as  conditions  will 
permit.  The  school  often  begins  the  day  with  order  but 
ends  in  disorder ;  a  class  is  begun  in  an  orderly  way  but  often 
ends  in  confusion  because  of  a  lack  of  restraining  power  in 
teacher  and  pupil.  There  is  much  noise — pupils  moving 
their  feet  on  the  floor,  moving  from  one  desk  or  seat  to  an 
other,  studying  aloud,  and  consulting  each  other.  Often 
the  pupils  must  be  permitted  to  study  in  an  undertone,  in 
asmuch  as  their  motor  habits  of  study  scarcely  permit  them 
to  study  intelligently  otherwise.  During  the  winter  months 
there  is  almost  constant  coughing  because  the  children 
are  continually  affected  with  colds.  Borrowing  and  lending 
books,  asking  the  teacher  questions,  and  various  little  irreg 
ularities  keep  the  teacher  busy  at  all  moments.  In  the 
school  room  methods  of  discipline  are  not  infrequently  crude 
but  often  very  effective;  in  several  instances  there  has  been 
a  decided  improvement  in  this  respect.  Those  superinten 
dents  of  the  white  schools  who  carefully  supervise  the  work 
of  the  colored  teachers  testify  that,  relatively  speaking,  the 
work  done  in  the  colored  schools  is  good,  notwithstanding 
the  disorder. 


339]  NEGRO  SCHOOLS  AND  EDUCATION  ^ 

The  day  in  school  is  one  full  of  interest  to  teacher  and 
pupil.  The  company  of  pupils  gathers  in  the  morning  but 
slowly.  There  is  little  uniformity  in  dress  among  the  negro 
children ;  for  the  most  part  the  children  are  poorly  dressed. 
But  with  all  the  varied  attire  and  imperfectly,  fitting  gar 
ments,  there  can  be  seen  in  the  dress  of  almost  every  child  a 
hurried  attempt  at  thoughtfulness.  But  there  is  less  evidence 
of  pride  in  the  dress  of  the  children  than  is  the  case  w^th  the 
older  negroes.  With  this  company  of  pupils  ranging  in  age 
from  six  to  fourteen  the  average  negro  school  opens.  The 
exercises  are  generally  begun  with  prayer  and  song;  many 
schools  have  song  books  which  they  use  regularly.  The 
children  do  not  sing  as  heartily  as  would  be  expected,  nor 
are  they  attracted  by  the  music  of  the  organ  or  piano  to 
any  great  extent.  The  text  books  in  the  negro  schools  are  the 
same  as  for  the  whites,  and  while  most  of  the  colored  schools 
are  not  graded  as  are  those  of  the  whites,  the  graded  books 
are  used  with  the  negro  classes.  The  teacher  follows  his  text 
closely,  and  "  hears  lessons  "  much  after  the  old-fashioned 
way.  The  classes  are  well  organized  and  are  often  divided 
into  groups  which  recite  as  they  are  ready.  Sometimes 
they  compete  in  the  daily  recitations — a  method  which  the 
children  enjoy.  They  are  usually  quick  to  criticise  each 
other's  work.  When  the  work  is  over  they  are  always 
eager  for  the  recess  hours  and  make  no  attempt  to  conceal 
their  eagerness;  when  dismissed  the  children  make  a  rush 
for  the  doors  with  much  noise  despite  the  fact  that  the 
teacher  has  carefully  instructed  them  to  march  out  in  an 
orderly  fashion.  At  recess  they  play  games  and  are  noisy 
and  intent  with  their  play.  Besides  regular  "  lessons  "  the 
schools  are  accustomed  to  have  special  exercises  on  Friday 
afternoons;  these  consist  of  spelling  matches,  "speaking" 
and  similar  methods  of  entertainment.  At  most  of  these 
exercises  a  few  songs  are  sung  by  teachers  and  pupils.  The 


36       SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [340 

recitation  or  "  speeches  "  are  usually  short,  and  consist  of 
simple  rhymes  and  sayings,  or  poems.  They  are  often 
"  funny  " ;  not  infrequently  they  are  very  creditable  to  the 
children.  There  is  much  amusement  in  the  audience  while 
the  children  say  their  speeches.  The  spelling  matches  are 
conducted  in  the  old-fashioned  way;  "sides"  are  chosen 
by  the  leaders,  preference  being  given  to  the  supposed  best 
spellers.  There  is  much  noisy  rivalry  in  these  matches,  and 
each  side  is  clamoring  to  win.  On  such  afternoons  secre 
taries,  critics,  and  other  officers  are  appointed  who  often 
read  interesting  reports.  Such  entertainments  are  not  en 
joyed  by  the  patrons  of  the  school;  it  is  a  rare  occurrence 
for  the  school  to  be  visited  at  any  time  by  the  patrons.  The 
whites  never  visit  the  negro  school.  Consequently  there  is 
little  known  of  what  is  being  done  in  the  colored  schools 
except  by  the  few  superintendents  who  carefully  oversee 
the  work  of  the  colored  teachers. 

Negro  children  are  easily  interested,  attentive,  eager  and 
alert.  For  the  most  part  they  are  bright  and  learn  easily. 
In  many  cases  they  appear  brighter  than  white  children  of 
the  same  age.  They  learn  from  memory  easily  and  retain 
little  things  for  some  length  of  time.  Notable  examples  of 
this  faculty  exhibited  to  an  unusual  degree  have  been  found 
in  special  cases.  They  are  quick  to  learn  simple  phrases  and 
rhymes ;  they  often  remember  entire  songs  and  stanzas  after 
having  heard  them  a  single  time.  Their  wonderful  capacity 
for  thus  learning  is  apparently  explained  by  the  fact  that 
things  heard  in  sequence  cohere  in  the  same  order  in  the 
memory  naturally.  An  example  of  this  kind  will  illustrate : 
Four  boys  the  oldest  of  whom  was  scarcely  more  than  thir 
teen  years  of  age  recited  in  continuous  order  over  two  hun 
dred  songs  and  rhymes,  each  of  which  was  recognized  by 
each  of  the  boys.  The  reciting  of  one  recalled  another  in 
rapid  succession,  and  apparently  they  possessed  an  even 


341  ]  NEGRO  SCHOOLS  AND  EDUCATION  37 

greater  supply  as  they  manifested  no  desire  to  stop,  al 
though  they  seemed  to  know  only  the  more  or  less  indecent 
ones  toward  the  last.  Similar  cases  in  which  even  younger 
children  were  involved  might  be  given.  The  mind  of  the 
Negro  is  easily  sensitive  to  sound,  and  words  which  are 
sounded  in  sequence,  similar  sounding  words  or  words  of 
alliterative  sound  are  retained  by  the  negro  child.  They 
are  very  fond  of  riddles  stated  in  rhymes  and  takeylelight 
in  remembering  the  answers  to  them.  They  learn  readily  to 
do  things  by  imitation  and  become  comparatively  skilful  in 
a  short  time.  They  remember  names  and  faces  well.  How 
ever,  there  are  many  negro  children  who  have  an  almost 
total  lack  of  mental  perception,  whose  minds  are  so  dense 
that  they  can  scarcely  learn  anything.  The  percentage  of 
such  cases  increases  with  age. 

In  the  school  room  such  qualities  as  have  been  mentioned 
are  manifested  in  interest  and  attentiveness.  Negro  chil 
dren  study  diligently  for  short  periods,  and  are  quick  to  try 
to  think.  Exceptional  cases  of  the  extremes  are  more 
marked  than  among  the  whites.  Reading,  writing  and 
simple  arithmetic  are  readily  learned  by  the  negroes;  spell 
ing  is  more  difficult,  perhaps  because  of  their  tendency  to 
follow  sound  only.  History  in  the  simpler  stories  is  easier 
for  them  than  geography.  In  their  language  lessons  they 
compose  interesting  sentences  but  they  can  not  overcome 
their  habits  and  forms  of  speech  gained  at  home  and  the 
inherent  tendency  toward  mingling  thoughts  to  a  degree 
that  outruns  the  ability  for  any  continued  expression  of 
separate  ideas.  They  have  vivid  but  general  and  vague 
imaginations;  as  far  as  they  go  they  form  mental  images 
quickly.  The  brightest  students  are  those  from  nine  to 
thirteen  years  of  age;  the  clearest  minds  seem  to  be  found 
from  ten  to  twelve  years  of  age.  Few  are  found  over  four 
teen  years  old  who  display  any  ability  or  clearness  of  mind 


38       SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [342 

on  the  one  hand,  or  any  brightness  on  the  other.  Ex 
periments  with  negro  children  seem  to  show  that  the  age 
of  greatest  brightness  is  later  than  that  of  greatest  ability. 
By  brightness  is  meant  quickness  and  aptness  in  the  doing 
and  learning  of  simpler  things ;  by  ability  is  meant  the  power 
to  grasp  and  hold  that  which  confronts  the  mind.  In  both 
boys  and  girls  among  the  negroes  the  highest  brightness 
seems  to  be  thirteen  years;  the  highest  ability  for  boys  was 
found  to  be  eight  years  and  for  the  girls  nine  years.  With 
white  children  ability  increases  and  brightness  decreases 
with  age.  lAs  a  rule,  after  negro  children  become  older 
than  ten  or  twelve  years,  their  development  is  physical 
rather  than  mental ;  whatever  of  mental  ability  in  the  child 
gave  promise  of  worth  to  be  recognized  in  later  years  is 
crowded  out  by  the  coarser  physical  growthj  In  the  small 
community  few  negro  children  over  thirteen  years  of  age 
attend  school.  It  thus  happens  that  with  all  the  brightness 
and  other  good  qualities  of  negro  children,  they  attain  little 
in  the  intellectual  way  beyond  childhood.  Even  with  better 
advantages  offered,  and  under  competent  instruction  in  all 
cases,  they  would  face  tremendous  odds. 

Before  considering  further  the  negro  school  and  its 
work  it  will  be  well  to  note  the  condition  of  the  child  when 
he  enters  the  school  room.  Reference  has  been  made  to  the 
attitude  of  the  parents  in  regard  to  sending  the  children  to 
school.  The  teacher  and  child  must  cope  with  odds  against 
which  they  are  ill  matched.  Inherited  tendency  and  en 
vironment  of  the  race  conditions  constitute  a  powerful 
influence  in  the  education  of  the  negro  child.  Against  these 
he  must  gain  whatever  of  good  he  is  to  receive,  and  it  is  to 
help  him  overcome  these  that  the  best  efforts  and  most  care 
ful  study  should  be  put  forth.  In  proportion  as  this  can 
be  done,  to  that  degree  will  the  next  generation  be  stronger 
than  the  present. 


343]  NEGRO  SCHOOLS  AND  EDUCATION  39 

Back  of  the  child,  and  affecting  him  both  directly  and 
indirectly,  are  the  characteristics  of  the  race.  The  Negro 
has  little  home  conscience  or  love  of  home,  no  local  attach 
ment  of  the  better  sort.  He  does  not  know  in  many  cases 
for  months  or  years  the  whereabouts  of  his  brother  and 
sister  or  even  parents,  nor  does  he  concern  himself  about 
their  welfare.  He  has  no  pride  of  ancestry,  and  he  is  not 
influenced  by  the  lives  of  great  men.  The  Negro  bfas  few 
ideals  and  perhaps  no  lasting  adherence  to  an  aspiration  to 
ward  real  worth.  He  has  little  conception  of  the  meaning 
of  virtue,  truth,  honor,  manhood,  integrity.  He  is  shiftless, 
untidy,  and  indolent ;  he  would  live  "  coolly  in  the  shadow 
of  his  skin."  The  migratory  or  roving  tendency  seems  to 
be  a  natural  one  to  him,  perhaps  the  outcome  of  an  easy 
going  indolence  seeking  freedom  to  indulge  itself  and  seek 
ing  to  avoid  all  circumstances  which  would  tend  to  restrict 
its  freedom.  The  Negro  shirks  details  and  difficult  tasks; 
he  is  incapable  of  turning  his  mind  toward  any  other  subject 
when  once  morbid  curiosity  holds  his  attention.  He  does 
not  know  the  value  of  his  word  or  the  meaning  of  words  in 
general.  He  utters  phrases  suited  to  his  own  fancy  without 
regard  to  their  meaning  and  forms  conclusions  in  his  mind 
which  give  him  pleasure.  He  recognizes  no  causal  relation 
between  stability  and  prosperity,  whether  it  be  in  reference 
to  his  local  abode  or  his  work.  The  Negro  is  improvident 
and  extravagant;  lazy  rather  than  industrious,  faithful  in 
the  performance  of  certain  duties,  without  vindictiveness,  he 
yet  has  a  reasonable  amount  of  physical  endurance.  But 
he  lacks  initiative;  he  is  often  dishonest  and  untruthful. 
He  is  over-religious  and  superstitious.  The  Negro  suspects 
his  own  race  and  the  white  race  as  well;  his  mind  does  not 
conceive  of  faith  in  humanity — he  does  not  comprehend  it. 

While  for  the  most  part  negro  children  are  cheerful,  the 
older  negroes  are  less  so  than  formerly.  Instead  of  the  one- 


40       SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [344 

time  good-nature,  a  spirit  of  moroseness  and  sullenness  is  de 
veloping.  Negro  children  are  easily  susceptible  to  all  in 
fluences  brought  to  bear  upon  them.  It  has  been  observed 
that  the  Negro  is  lacking  in  morals,  so  far  as  personal  purity 
and  chastity  are  concerned.  All  phases  of  indecent  subjects 
are  discussed  in  the  presence  of  children.  As  a  matter  of 
fact,  the  prevalence  of  habitual  immorality  is  understood  by 
all — the  children  grow  up  after  the  manner  of  the  older 
ones,  feeling  that  the  situation  is  but  a  natural  one.  Take 
an  illustration :  "  Uncle  Tally  "  writing  for  a  negro  news 
paper  published  in  a  small  community,  has  this  to  say : 

I  have  seen  the  time  when  it  was  a  disgrace  for  a  young 
girl  to  go  out  of  the  church  at  night  alone,  but  you  can  see 
them  do  it  now,  but  when  a  girl  does  it  now  the  best  people 
know  that  she  is  not  straight  and  if  they  had  half  as  much 
character  as  they  had  clothes  on  their  back  morality  would 
reign  supreme.  I  be  dog  my  cats  if  I  don't  want  to  see  the 
time  come  when  I  tip  my  old  hat  that  I  will  be  satisfied  that  I 
have  tipped  it  to  a  lady  but  the  way  things  are  now  I  feel 
better  satisfied  when  I  tip  my  hat  to  a  girl  with  a  basket  of 
clothes  on  her  head  than  some  of  them  with  a  fine  hat  on, 
because  most  of  the  time  there  is  more  virtue  under  the  basket 
of  clothes  than  there  is  under  a  fine  hat. 

He  continues  about  girls  in  "big  meetings"  sitting  out  with 
immoral  young  men  and  adds :  "  and  hang  me  if  some  of 
them  don't  try  to  be  school  teachers."  And  many  of  them 
are  school  teachers.  One  of  the  crying  weaknesses  in  the 
negro  school  is  the  lack  of  moral  strength  on  the  part  of  the 
women  teachers.  It  is  but  natural  that  children  accus 
tomed  to  gross  immoralities  at  home  and  sometimes  seeing 
indications  of  the  same  tendency  on  the  part  of  the  teach 
ers,  should  be  greatly  affected  by  it  at  school.  Thus  with 
mental  stupidity  and  moral  insensibility  back  of  them  the 


345]  NEGRO  SCHOOLS  AND  EDUCATION  4I 

children  are  affected  already  in  practice  and  thought,  in 
deeds  and  in  speech.  Furthermore,  they  come  to  the 
teacher,  as  will  subsequently  be  shown,  having  antipathy 
toward  their  own  race  and  disappointed  at  "  being  a  nigger/' 

When  the  conditions  in  the  school  room  are  seen  in  the 
light  of  actual  conditions  obtaining,  they  are  easily  under 
stood  and  little  surprise  is  felt  that  the  results  have  not  been 
better.  It  is  easily  observed  that  these  obstacles  have 
not  been  overcome,  but  have  rather  set  the  bounds  for  the 
school's  effectiveness.  Because  of  this  the  growing  gener 
ation  of  negroes  is  not  superior  to  the  negroes  of  a  gener 
ation  ago,  as  a  race,  rated  according  to  religious  and  moral 
standing,  and  according  to  their  economic  value  to  the  com 
munity.  The  schools  do  not  appear  to  have  improved  with 
in  the  last  decade  nor  do  the  results  appear  in  so  favorable 
a  light  as  a  few  years  ago.  Much  has  been  attempted  but 
there  are  certain  characteristics  of  the  young  so-called  edu 
cated  negroes  which  work  great  harm  to  the  race.  It  is  true 
that  as  far  as  actual  mental  illiteracy  is  concerned,  a  great 
deal  has  been  done,  but  it  seems  that  the  whole  current  of 
mental  improvement  has  reached  unhappy  results. 

The  young  educated  negroes  are  not  a  force  for  good  in 
the  community  but  for  evil.  The  Negro  quickly  outgrows 
the  influence  and  control  of  his  instructors;  especially  has 
this  been  noted  in  cases  where  the  whites  have  taught  them. 
These  young  negroes  are  not  in  sympathy  with  their  par 
ents  ;  they  appear  to  neglect  them  more  than  those  who  are 
not  "  educated."  They  feel  that  manual  labor  is  beneath 
their  dignity ;  they  are  fitted  to  do  no  other.  They  sneer  at 
the  idea  of  work,  and  they  thus  spread  dissatisfaction  among 
the  members  of  their  race.  They  imitate  the  whites  and  be 
lieve  themselves  thereby  similar  to  them.  They  love  only 
the  show  of  apparent  results  and  do  not  care  for  the  details 
of  attainment.  They  have  not  rejected  vicious  practices  in 


42       SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [346 

their  own  lives  nor  condemned  them  in  theory;  on  the  con 
trary  they  have  chosen  to  practice  them  and  to  condone  the 
vices  which  are  increasing  in  the  race  to  its  rapid  deteriora 
tion.  They  uphold  immorality  and  wish  to  ostracize  any 
who  assist  the  white  man  contrary  to  their  own  notions, 
thinking  all  the  while  that  they  are  manifesting  a  spirit  of 
race  loyalty.  It  is  clear  that  their  moral  natures  are  miser 
ably  perverted.  Such  a  statement  should  not  be  interpreted 
as  abusing  the  Negro;  for,  considering  the  putrid  moral 
air  he  breathes  and  that  there  is  no  light  to  nourish  his  spirit 
ual  instincts,  there  could  be  no  other  outcome.  Despite  the 
excuse,  however,  the  facts  remain  unchanged.  The  negro 
schools  taught  under  present  conditions  have  not  produced 
the  desired  results;  conducted  according  to  the  white  man's 
own  methods  they  have  been  unsatisfactory.  Even  in  those 
schools  which  have  been  given  ample  equipment  and  have 
employed  the  younger  educated  negroes  at  better  salaries, 
the  results  do  not  appear  to  be  lasting;  but  it  is  in  the  ac 
quirement  of  modern  superficial  methods  wrongly  applied 
that  they  seem  to  surpass. 

The  problem  is  indeed  perplexing,  and  from  the  view 
point  of  the  Negro  the  way  must  appear  a  difficult  one. 
Many  remedies  have  been  offered  and  many  methods  sug 
gested  for  the  attainment  of  better  results.  Some  of  these 
may  be  noted.  Ex-Governor  Jelks  of  Alabama  has  sug 
gested  that  Southern  white  men  should  teach  the  negro 
schools.  To  this  there  are  such  serious  objections  that  it 
would  appear  to  be  inpracticable.  In  the  first  place,  the 
negroes  offer  serious  objections;  their  objection  is  thus 
stated  in  a  leading  editorial  of  one  of  the  negro  church 
papers : 

Governor  Jelks  of  Alabama,  in  his  article  on  the  school 
question  and  in  discussing  Negro  education  in  particular,  is 


347]  NEGRO  SCHOOLS  AND  EDUCATION  43 

very  careful  to  suggest  that  only  white  men  should  teach  in 
these  schools.  This  raises  a  very  fine  point  from  our  stand 
point,  namely,  this — unless  there  is  a  very  careful  selection  of 
white  men  the  Negro  would  have  great  hesitancy  in  entrusting 
his  children,  particularly  the  girls,  to  their  care.  Not  all  white 
men  of  the  South,  but  a  very  large  percentage,  are  very  bold 
in  asserting  that  the  Negro  women  cannot  be  chaste  and  vir 
tuous,  and  hence  they  are  open  to  desperate  attacks  from  a 
source  that  ought  to  be  helpful.  White  men  of  the  South  have 
opened  themselves  too  largely  to  criticism  to  at  once  be  ushered 
into  unquestioned  leadership  of  the  intellectual,  moral  and  reli 
gious  life  of  the  Negro  in  the  South.  Governor  Jelks's  keen 
and  decided  drawing  the  line  raises  the  question  and  since  it 
is  raised  let  it  be  met  in  all  fairness.  Do  Southern  men  respect 
us  enough  in  our  race  life  and  in  our  hopes  for  the  future? 
Can  our  children  be  entrusted  to  them  ? 

The  negroes  would  object  further  because  it  would  deprive 
their  best  educated  men  and  women  of  the  field  of  labor 
which  they  think  they  can  most  effectively  occupy.  They 
would  object  to  being  robbed  of  an  occupation.  Besides  the 
objections  offered  by  the  negroes  there  are  additional  rea 
sons  why  such  a  plan  is  impracticable.  The  Southern  white 
man  is  unwilling  to  teach  in  these  schools.  As  conditions 
are  now,  most  boards  of  trustees  are  careless  in  selecting 
teachers  for  negro  schools.  With  the  present  supply  and 
the  existing  prospect  for  a  future  supply  of  white  teachers 
the  negro  schools  would  get  only  inferior  men.  And  none  but 
the  best  equipped  in  training,  endurance,  and  moral  stamina 
could  ever  teach  faithfully  and  efficiently  in  a  negro  school. 
The  average  Southern  white  teacher  is  not  prepared  to 
teach  negro  children.  Certainly  there  will  not  be,  even  for 
generations,  thirty  thousand  such  men. 

It  has  been  suggested  that  only  Southern  white  women 
can  effectually  teach  in  negro  schools.     And  it  is  doubtless 


44       SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [348 

true  that  they  could  teach  them  quite  successfully.  But 
under  the  present  relations  between  the  races,  nothing  would 
seem  more  improbable  than  such  an  undertaking.  It  has 
been  suggested  by  both  whites  and  blacks  that  agricultural 
and  mechanical  schools  should  be  established  for  the  negroes. 
It  has  been  suggested  again  that  half  of  the  curriculum  be 
given  over  to  industrial  studies.  Military  discipline  has 
been  advocated  as  the  best  way  to  direct  the  education  of  the 
Negro  youth;  strict  methods  of  discipline  in  many  forms 
have  been  suggested  as  a  sufficient  corrective  of  the  evil 
conditions.  The  kindergarten  system  has  been  urged  for 
the  development  early  in  life  of  manual  dexterity.  While 
these  systems  have  much  to  commend  them,  is  it  probable 
that  they  will  be  adopted?  If  adopted,  has  the  negro  at 
present  a  sufficient  foundation  for  effective  results?  In  the 
light  of  the  whole  situation  and  in  connection  with  the  many 
proposed  plans,  the  following  observations  are  offered. 

It  is  clear  that,  at  least  for  some  time  to  come,  the  Negro 
must  have  his  own  teachers  in  the  school  room.  The  school 
is  the  only  place  where  a  change  of  home  life  can  be  af 
fected  to  any  marked  degree  and  where  moral,  physical  and 
hygienic  education  can  be  obtained.  This  must  necessarily 
take  more  than  a  generation.  And  it  must  be  begun  by  the 
negroes  under  the  supervision  of  the  white  man.  It  is 
furthermore  true  that  the  negro  teacher  should  have  means 
and  methods  for  his  use  which  are  specially  adapted  to  the 
proper  training  of  his  children,  and  he  should  have  the  care 
ful  co-operation  and  supervision  of  the  whites.  There  are 
certain  conditions  which  must  be  met  by  the  negroes  which 
do  not  obtain  among  the  whites;  and  it  is  but  just  that  white 
supervision,  recognizing  this  difference,  should  better  adapt 
means  needed  for  the  colored  teacher's  use.  Here  are  chil 
dren  who  must  cope  with  tremendous  odds  in  inherited  ten 
dencies  and  environment.  They  are  different  in  every  par- 


349]  NEGRO  SCHOOLS  AND  EDUCATION  45 

ticular  from  the  white  children;  the  basis  on  which  their  edu 
cation  must  rest  is  different  from  that  of  the  white  children. 
And  yet  under  white  supervision,  they  are  given  the  same 
books,  the  same  methods  and  the  same  grade  of  methods, 
and  are  required  to  learn  as  the  white  children  do.  The 
Negro  is  condemned  because  he  thinks  himself  the  white 
man's  equal,  and  still  we  say  to  his  children :  You  must  use 
the  same  methods  and  the  same  degree  of  perseverance  if 
you  are  to  get  anything  out  of  school.  It  is  complained  that 
they  learn  too  much,  and  it  is  complained  that  they  can  not 
learn  at  all  and  are  incapable  of  receiving  an  education.  In 
each  case  the  Negro  is  compared  with  the  whites.  The 
logic  of  the  situation  is  all  wrong;  the  methods  would  ap 
pear  to  be  wrong.  In  addition  to  the  fact  that  the  children 
of  the  two  races  have  lived  under  such  different  educative  in 
fluences  and  therefore  need  different  matter  and  methods, 
the  text  books  used  in  the  first  grade  are  especially  suited 
to  the  whites  and  not  suited  to  the  negroes.  To  illustrate, 
turn  through  the  pages  of  the  first  and  second  or  third  grade 
readers  used  by  negro  children  in  the  schools.  Such  books 
are  used  for  reader,  spelling  book,  for  writing  exercises,  and 
they  often  use  no  other  text.  The  pages  are  illustrated 
with  pictures  in  colors,  and  in  every  case  where  persons  are 
involved  they  are  pictures  of  white  boys  and  girls  with  rosy 
cheeks  and  pretty  features.  These  children  have  toys  and 
pets  and  comforts,  and  all  that  luxury  without  labor  could 
demand.  The  simple  stories  are  of  these  boys  and  girls  at 
play,  of  their  dolls  and  toys  and  friends.  The  stories  are 
varied,  and  are  illustrated  with  the  view  to  interesting  chil 
dren;  and  properly  so.  But  what  is  the  state  of  interest 
with  which  the  negro  child  reads  of  things  which  are  not  his 
and  can  never  be  ?  Or  what  must  be  the  recoil  to  his  feel 
ings  when  eagerly  enjoying  the  scenes,  his  imagination  has 
transported  him  into  that  wholly  ideal  life,  he  suddenly  re- 


46       SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [350 

members  that  it  is  only  the  white  boys  and  girls  that  he  reads 
of  and  that  nothing  of  his  own  life  is  mentioned,  and  that  he 
can  not  be  like  the  white  child  ?  Certain  it  is  that  the  bright 
mind  of  the  child  conceives  some  idea,  and  there  can  be  but 
one  result  in  his  mind,  even  though  it  may  sometimes  be  in 
definite.  Is  it  surprising  that  the  negro  child,  as  he  gets  the 
daily -lesson,  begins  to  wish  that  he  were  white,  or  is  it 
surprising  that  the  new  world  which  dawns  upon  the 
brighter  negro  children  is  a  wrong  conception  of  life?  Is 
it  surprising  that  the  girl  cherishes  and  fondles,  as  with  some 
motherly  instinct,  the  white  doll  and  refuses  to  have  aught 
to  do  with  a  black  doll?  It  is  little  surprising  that  early  in 
life  these  children  begin  to  aspire  naturally  to  be  like  the 
whites  and  that  they  seek  every  opportunity  to  gain  any 
similar  traits  or  appearances.  They  do  this  whether  they 
attend  school  or  remain  at  home — it  is  unfortunate  that  the 
school  should  be  a  means  for  cultivating  this  tendency. 
Again,  is  it  surprising  that  the  older  negro  boys,  already  af 
fected  with  criminal  impulses,  begin  to  formulate  those 
malignant  and  voluptuous  thoughts  which  turn  to  criminal 
aspirations  ? 

The  negro  teachers,  as  they  follow  the  text  book  closely, 
can  but  long  for  the  beauty  and  light  which  is  pictured  in 
the  more  favored  life  of  the  whites,  naturally  making  it  an 
ideal  for  his  pupils.  The  current  feeling  among  the  chil 
dren  as  well  as  older  negroes  is  well  illustrated  by  the  con 
solation  offered  by  a  negro  teacher  to  one  of  her  pupils : 
"  You  write  so  sorrowfully  about  being  a  negro.  My  dear 
Dulce  brown  skin  and  kinky  hair  are  nothing  to  distress 
you;  the  trouble  lies  much  deeper  than  that.  If  you  were 
a  little  pale  faced,  yellow  haired  girl,  and  all  the  rich,  well- 
educated  people  about  you  had  brown  skin;  if  those  who 
rode  in  carriages  and  autos  had  kinky  hair;  if  the  dominant, 
cultured,  successful  race  were  Negroes,  you  would  long  to 


351]  NEGRO  SCHOOLS  AND  EDUCATION  47 

be  a  Negro  also,  brown  skin,  kinky  hair  and  all.  It  is  a 
matter  of  education,  morality  and  money;  and  just  as  soon 
as  the  majority  of  negroes  acquire  these,  the  question  of 
color  will  begin  to  drop  out.  Are  you  doing  what  you  can 
to  hasten  that  day?"  The  idea  among  all  classes  of  negroes 
— teachers  and  pupils  —  is  monstrously  wrong.  For  the 
most  part  they  seek  only  to  be  like  the  whites  rather  than 
to  obtain  the  qualities  which  make  the  white  man  superior. 
The  question  of  color  will  not  drop  out.  On  th£  other 
hand,  the  Negro  is  encouraged  in  imitating  the  white  man 
and  then  abused  because  he  does  it;  we  expect  him  to  imi 
tate  the  good  in  the  stronger  race  and  not  the  bad.  We 
give  the  white  children  lessons  which  we  desire  to  be  in 
centives  to  learning,  culture,  and  high  ideals;  when  the 
Negro  reads  the  same  lessons,  if  he  should  aspire  to  the 
same  ideals,  he  is  accused  of  being  criminal.  Perhaps  he 
can  not  aspire;  he  imitates. 

The  suggestion  made  here  is  that  the  text  books  of  the  first 
years  for  the  negroes  should  be  very  different  from  those 
of  the  white  children.  It  is  hoped  that  the  suggestion  will 
merit  serious  consideration  and  to  this  end  brief  explana 
tion  is  given.  No  outline  of  the  proposed  books  will  be 
given  here  but  the  general  plan  may  be  indicated.  New 
text  books  are  desirable  for  two  main  reasons :  First,  books 
are  needed  which  are  especially  suited  to  the  negroes  as  a 
race,  to  develop  the  negro  child  within  his  race.  The 
second  may  be  stated  more  fully:  Text  books  are  needed 
which  are  especially  adapted  to  the  negro  mind,  texts  based 
on  the  most  accurate  and  sympathetic  knowledge  of  the 
characteristics  of  the  Negro,  which  comprehend  the  pecu 
liar  needs  of  negro  children,  which  are  carefully  planned 
and  graded  to  teach  the  things  fundamental  in  their  proper 
education.  It  is  essential  that  details  be  taught  from  the 
very  beginning,  and  by  constant  drill  the  habit  of  doing 


48       SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [352 

things  with  accuracy  be  forced.  The  constant  repetition 
of  little  things,  done  in  order,  might  overcome  much  of  the 
tendency  in  the  Negro  for  carelessness  and  instability.  But 
if  any  such  results  are  to  be  hoped  for,  they  must  be  ob 
tained  before  the  pupil  goes  beyond  fourteen  years  of  age; 
here  the  physical  brain  in  the  Negro  reaches  its  maturity, 
and  nearly  all  that  can  be  done  for  a  generation  must  be 
done  by  methods  suited  to  the  children. 

(i)  Let  the  influences  upon  the  negro  child,  at  least  so 
far  as  the  school  is  able  to  effect  this  end,  lead  him  toward 
the  unquestioning  acceptance  of  the  fact  that  his  is  a  differ 
ent  race  from  the  white,  and  properly  so;  that  it  always  has 
been  and  always  will  be;  that  it  is  not  a  discredit  not  to  be 
able  to  do  as  the  whites,  and  that  it  is  not  necessarily  a 
credit  to  imitate  the  life  of  the  white  man.  Let  him  not 
measure  his  work  by  the  white  child's  achievement.  If 
there  were  no  impossible  fancies  of  being  like  the  whites,  or 
the  constant  thought  of  being  below  them,  slight  progress 
might  bring  the  teacher  and  pupil  to  some  consciousness  of 
the  degraded  condition  of  their  race.  Let  the  negro  chil 
dren  read  stories  of  pioneer  days,  and  of  those  who  have 
worked  their  way  up  through  the  years ;  let  such  lessons  be 
designed  to  teach  that  labor  is  honorable  and  idleness  de 
grading.  He  may  learn  from  reading  stories  of  Africa  how 
much  better  off  he  is  than  his  cousins.  Let  him  read  stories 
of  his  own  people,  of  whom  there  are  hundreds  of  stories 
told  of  fidelity  to  duty  and  trust ;  stories  of  little  homes  with 
the  family,  and  what  attractions  are  possible  for  the  clean 
negro  home;  of  neat  cottages  and  houses,  descriptions  of 
rooms  and  yards ;  of  cleanliness  and  its  necessity ;  of  every 
day  life  and  what  to  do  in  the  home,  of  fresh  air  and  sun 
light — stories  of  health  and  happiness,  of  labor  and  honor, 
of  things  interesting  in  the  telling,  but  of  vital  import  as 
they  pertain  to  the  everyday  life  of  the  children  themselves. 


NEGRO  SCHOOLS  AND  EDUCATION  49 

Then  there  should  be  many  nature  stories,  of  animals  and 
crops,  of  planting  and  growing  seed,  of  birds  and  country 
life.  Simple  rhymes  and  poems  specially  chosen  for  the 
purpose  would  be  inserted  at  frequent  intervals — all  of  which 
could  be  arranged  with  proper  illustrations  and  the  same 
pedagogical  principles  of  teaching  the  reading,  writing  and 
spelling.  This  would  have  its  positive  value  and  it  would 
have  its  negative  value.  While  the  negro  child  \tf  inter 
ested  in  his  own  matters  he  will  not  be  incited  to  wish  for 
the  white  man's  conditions  of  life  or  for  his  nature.  Until 
some  such  methods  have  placed  the  negro  child  on  a  firm 
basis,  the  Negro  can  never  achieve  permanent  results  in  his 
civilization. 

(2)  Little  experiments  in  the  school  room  indicate  that 
it  is  almost  impossible  for  the  negro  child  to  do  anything 
with  continuous  accuracy.  The  scorning  of  details  is 
clearly  seen  in  the  habits  of  the  children.  For  instance,  if, 
after  careful  instructions,  the  child  is  given  the  task  of 
drawing  ten  straight  lines,  two,  three  or  four,  will  be  well 
drawn,  while  the  others  will  be  carelessly  done.  This  ten 
dency  may  not  be  overcome  in  a,  short  while ;  but  the  negro 
child  learns  to  do  little  things  easily,  and,  when  made  to  do 
so,  can  do  them  well.  The  one  fundamental  need,  then, 
of  the  child  is  constant  drill ;  nothing  will  take  its  place. 

Exercises  for  facilitating  the  teaching  might  be  offered 
at  the  end  of  the  several  chapters  or  lessons  in  the  text  books. 
With  the  reading  lessons  squares  or  other  figures  should 
illustrate  the  story  and  the  child  should  be  required  to  draw 
these  figures ;  with  examples  in  arithmetic,  exercises  in  draw 
ing  parallel  and  perpendicular  lines  and  adding  them,  or 
similar  exercises,  would  be  given  constantly.  Notes  at  the 
end  of  each  lesson  might  assist  the  teacher  in  enforcing  ac 
curacy  and  effectively  teaching  the  lessons.  Again,  after  a 
story,  the  note  might  suggest  that  the  pupil  read  aloud  the 


50       SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [354 

lesson  at  home;  so  with  a  lesson  on  hygiene,  instructions 
for  simple  exercises  at  home  or  at  school  might  be  given. 
In  all  instances  they  should  be  repeated  often  enough  in 
the  proper  way  for  the  child  to  recognize  a  practical  appli 
cation.  If  the  negro  home  standard  is  to  be  raised  it  must 
be  through  the  child.  Nothing  short  of  constant  drill  and 
the  habitual  performing  of  details  can  ever  make  good 
home  keepers  of  negro  girls.  In  all  exercises  the  methods 
should  be  reasonable;  the  negro  child  needs  simpler  exer 
cises  than  does  the  white  child.  However,  each  should  be 
designed  with  a  special  purpose  in  view.  Negroes  are 
rarely  open  to  reason ;  here  they  need  to  see  things  in  their 
details  rather  than  in  the  total  appearance.  They  need  to 
learn  the  real  meaning  of  a  few  words  rather  than  the 
sound  of  many.  Boys  and  girls  who  are  sent  to  the  board 
to  write  sentences  illustrating  the  meaning  and  use  of  com 
mon  words  like  are,  the,  boy,  girl,  compose  many  sentences 
containing  admonitions  as  to  boys  and  girls  stealing,  telling 
lies,  and  similar  sins.  And  yet  they  manifest  no  practical 
knowledge  whatever  of  the  meaning  of  the  words;  they 
think  of  the  sound  of  the  words  and  the  entire  sentence  and 
of  a  pictured  favorable  impression  made  upon  the  teacher, 
or  their  own  sense  of  "  oughtness  "  and  what  they  know  to 
be  the  right  sentiment.  So  it  is  with  right  and  wrong, 
heaven  and  hell,  and  other  words  commonly  used  by  negro 
children.  Here  again  this  method  may  help  to  resurrect 
the  conscience  of  the  Negro  and  move  his  intellect,  and  if  it 
is  possible  to  eradicate  the  criminal  tendencies,  it  can  best 
be  begun  in  the  school  room.  Special  passages  selected 
from  the  Bible  and  placed  in  the  back  of  the  book  for  morn 
ing  reading  or  home  reading  might  greatly  assist  in  teach 
ing  the  scriptures  to  the  negroes,  and  perhaps  in  time,  moral 
principles  would  be  inculcated.  Such  exercises  as  have  been 
mentioned,  with  suggestions  for  improving  the  school 


355]  NEGRO  SCHOOLS  AND  EDUCATION  5I 

grounds  and  keeping  the  building  clean,  would  not  only  be 
effective  in  results  upon  the  children,  but  also  in  the  dis 
cipline  and  management  of  the  school. 

It  will  be  objected  that  the  above  plan  is  theoretical  and 
in  the  practical  test  would  fail  of  results.  No  one,  however, 
would  claim  that  it  would  be  less  effective  than  present 
methods  and  it  would  imply  only  the  ordinary  change 
brought  about  by  the  adoption  of  text  books.  It  wotffld,  be 
sides  meeting  the  needs  of  the  negro  children  already  men 
tioned,  meet  the  requirements  of  superintendents  of  white 
schools  who  have  indicated  in  their  reports  the  defects  of 
the  school  work  among  the  negroes.  Furthermore,  the 
negro  teacher  follows  his  book  closely  and  as  a  rule  teaches 
what  is  found  in  it.  He  can  be  depended  upon  to  do  so  in 
this  case.  The  simple  exercises  because  of  their  newness 
would  be  of  interest  to  the  teacher,  and  it  is  probable  that 
the  average  teacher  would  find  pleasure  in  preparing  each 
lesson,  and  the  pupil  look  forward  to  each  new  exercise. 
This  change  would  put  new  life  into  the  work  and  new  inter 
est  into  the  teacher's  field  of  labor.  Like  the  children,  he 
would  reap  benefit.  It  will  be  objected  that  the  Negro 
will  protest  against  such  a  change;  it  is  assumed,  however, 
that  the  illustrations  and  contents  of  the  books  would  be 
judiciously  chosen  with  the  view  of  pleasing  the  children 
and  at  the  same  time  instructing  them.  Many  negro  teach 
ers  are  willing  to  affirm  that  they  approve  of  the  plan.  It 
would,  of  course,  be  impracticable  to  require  separate  texts 
for  negroes  above  the  grammar  grades ;  but  it  is  only  in  the 
formative  period,  when  the  pupil  will  be  in  the  elementary 
subjects,  that  special  texts  are  needed.  Students  whose 
ability  and  ambition  carry  them  into  advanced  studies  will 
most  likely  be  intelligent  enough  to  understand  their  posi 
tion.  Such  a  change  in  elementary  studies  would  not  be 
cutting  off  the  Negro's  present  advantages  but  an  essential 


52       SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [356 

aid  in  preparing  him  for  better  things.  If  the  plan  is 
properly  interpreted  no  negro  leader  who  aspires  for  his 
race  to  reach  the  best  results  will  offer  objections.  There 
should  be  no  objection  on  the  part  of  the  whites  if  they  de 
sire  the  negro  to  be  trained  for  usefulness. 

The  great  obstacle  in  the  way  of  the  Negro's  industrial 
efficiency  as  well  as  in  his  mental  and  moral  character  is  his 
lack  of  sustained  application  and  constructive  conduct. 
Such  a  state  of  being  is,  however,  but  natural  to  a  people 
of  the  Negro's  temperament.  He  easily  responds  to  all 
stimuli  and  is  controlled,  therefore,  by  present  impulses, 
which  leads  to  almost  complete  lack  of  restraint.  The  pleas 
urable  yielding  to  impulses  in  the  breaking-down  of  restraint 
and  in  the  habit  of  non-exertion  make  the  negro  very  in 
active  on  the  one  hand,  and  the  carrying  of  pleasurable  re 
sponses  to  an  extreme  exhausts  and  degenerates  his  vital 
powers,  on  the  other.  The  negro  is  therefore  weak  in  so 
cial  and  self  control  and  in  self-direction,  and  has  little 
capacity  for  sustained  control  of  any  sort.  With  such  a 
predilection  and  predisposition  the  Negro  does  not  lend  him 
self  to  the  development  of  deep  and  permanent  qualities 
through  the  working-out  of  essential  processes.  Through 
habituation,  facility,  inheritance  and  temperament,  there 
fore,  the  Negro  is  superficial  and  irresponsible.  It  is  easily 
seen,  then,  that  in  order  to  help  the  Negro  most  effectively 
not  only  the  content  of  his  mind  must  be  improved  but  also 
his  mode  of  applying  the  intellect  and  feelings  must  be 
changed.  If  the  Negro  has  latent  powers  they  can  be  de 
veloped  and  retained  only  through  some  such  processes  as 
have  been  suggested,  together  with  selection.  Even  if  the 
various  methods  should  be  adopted,  or  any  parts  of  the 
many  plans  already  suggested  for  the  education  of  the 
negroes  should  be  carried  out,  the  elementary  branches  must 
still  be  taught.  Efficiency  in  application  is  the  first  essential 


357]  NEGRO  SCHOOLS  AND  EDUCATION  53 

to  any  permanent  results.  Such  specially  adapted  methods 
would  greatly  facilitate  matters  as  well  as  assist  in  making 
a  proper  beginning.  Uniformity  would  be  had,  as  now,  by 
the  adoption  of  satisfactory  texts,  edited  and  selected  with 
special  care,  and  the  cost  of  books  would  not  have  to  be 
increased. 

A  careful  study  of  the  Negro's  habits  and  traits  of  life 
will  reveal  the  extent  to  which  the  facts  just  related^pply. 
In  connection  with  such  a  plan  as  has  been  suggested  there 
is  need  of  some  method  by  which  regularity  of  attendance 
may  be  had,  otherwise  the  basic  principle  of  the  method 
would  be  thwarted.  Some  regulation  is  needed  whereby 
compulsory  attendance  is  required,  not  for  any  specific  num 
ber  of  months,  but  for  the  time  during  which  the  pupil  is 
enrolled.  The  work  of  the  negro  schools  should  have  the 
co-operation  and  interest  of  the  whites  of  the  same  com 
munity.  Furthermore,  supervision  by  white  teachers  of 
ability  is  absolutely  essential  for  the  present.  Many  negro 
teachers  have  been  known  to  put  new  life  into  their  work 
and  new  interest  in  their  schools  because  white  men  have 
shown  a  real  and  practical  interest  in  the  work.  The 
negroes  thus  reap  both  the  benefit  that  comes  from  white 
supervision  and  the  encouragement  offered  by  others  who 
work  in  similar  fields  of  endeavor.  A  careful  consideration 
of  this  phase  of  their  duties  is  earnestly  asked  of  school 
superintendents  throughout  the  Southern  States.  The 
negro  can  be  assisted  in  obtaining  a  substantial  training 
easier  than  he  can  be  given  a  superficial  education. 


CHAPTER  II 
THE  NEGRO  CHURCH  AND  RELIGION 

THE  Church  has  been  called  the  central  point  around 
which  all  negro  life  revolves.  It  is  certainly  a  great  influ 
ence  in  the  life  of  the  negroes  and  furnishes  them  with  the 
greater  part  of  their  better  life  and  the  outlet  for  much  of 
their  energy.  The  function  of  the  negro  Church  is  rather 
to  give  expression  and  satisfaction  to  social  and  religious 
emotions  than  to  direct  moral  conduct.  The  Negro  is  well- 
known  for  his  religious  nature  and  the  richness  of  his  ex 
periences.  The  question  has  often  been  raised  whether  or 
not  the  Church  could  be  used  effectively  to  assist  the  Negro 
in  overcoming  his  weaknesses.  What  the  possibilities  may 
be  and  what  the  Negro's  needs  are  can  best  be  known 
through  a  study  of  the  Negro's  churches  and  church  life. 
Such  a  study  should  reveal  the  main  facts  concerning  negro 
churches,  membership  and  attendance,  church  services  and 
methods  of  worship,  religious  feelings  and  beliefs,  the  moral 
qualities  of  the  negroes,  and  the  relations  existing  between 
the  white  church  and  the  negro  church.  In  this  chapter 
the  effort  is  made  to  present  and  interpret  in  a  discriminat 
ing  way  such  facts.  The  results  of  the  concrete  experi 
ments  made  by  the  whites  among  the  negroes  are  especially 
significant  in  their  bearing  upon  the  entire  question  of  negro 
religion  and  life. 

There  are  among  the  negroes  in  the  South  church  organi 
zations  in  the  following  denominations:  Baptist,  African 
Methodist  Episcopal,  Colored  Methodist  Episcopal,  African 
54  [358 


359]  THE  NEGRO  CHURCH  AND  RELIGION  55 

Methodist  Episcopal  Zion,  and  Methodist  Episcopal.  In 
some  of  the  states  there  are  a  few  organizations  and  churches 
among  the  Congregationalists,  Colored  Cumberland  Pres 
byterians  and  African  Union  Methodist  Protestant,  with  a 
small  number  of  special  or  "  sanctified  "  organizations.  The 
white  Presbyterians  of  the  United  States  have  established 
a  number  of  churches  among  the  negroes  and  exercise  a 
supervision  over  them.  The  Protestant  Episcopal  ^Church 
has  many  communicants  throughout  the  South.  The 
Churches  most  commonly  found  among  the  negroes  in  the 
South  are  the  Baptist,  Methodist  Episcopal,  African 
Methodist  Episcopal,  and  Colored  Methodist  Episcopal, 
known  generally  as  the  Baptist,  the  M.  E.,  the  A.  M.  E.,  and 
the  C.  M.  E.,  respectively.  Most  communities  have  more 
than  one  church,  generally  three  or  four.  Where  only  two 
churches  are  found,  one  is  commonly  a  Baptist  and  the  other 
some  form  of  the  Methodist.  There  are,  however,  more  or 
ganizations  among  the  Baptists  than  among  all  others  com 
bined. 

Negro  churches  are  usually  located  in  or  near  the  negro 
sections  of  the  town.  If  there  are  communities  of  negroes 
segregated  in  two  or  more  parts  of  the  town,  the  churches 
are  accordingly  not  infrequently  located  in  different  negro 
divisions.  If  there  are,  for  example,  four  negro  churches, 
three  will  perhaps  be  located  in  the  same  vicinity  and  the 
fourth  on  the  opposite  side  of  town,  or  two  will  be  located 
together  and  the  others  in  a  separate  section  each.  The 
negroes  exercise  much  care  and  judgment  in  selecting  and 
obtaining  lots  upon  which  to  build  their  churches  so  that  the 
locations  of  the  negro  churches  compare  favorably  with 
those  of  the  white  churches.  Through  the  industry  and 
energy  of  the  negroes  and  the  co-operation  of  the  whites  the 
church  and  parsonage  are  often  located  in  most  desirable 
parts  of  the  town.  The  church  edifices,  too,  reveal  con- 


56       SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [360 

siderable  industry  and  pride.  Measured  by  the  property 
owned  by  the  negroes  and  by  other  ordinary  standards,  the 
negro  churches  are,  thus  relatively  speaking,  far  superior 
to  those  of  the  whites.  The  whites,  however,  assist  the 
negroes  in  many  private  ways  and  contributions.  In  one 
place,  at  least,  namely  in  his  church,  the  Negro  does  not 
suffer  by  comparison.  The  exterior  of  such  churches  pre 
sents  a  pleasing  appearance.  Most  churches  are  con 
structed  of  wood,  are  painted,  have  a  simple  but  creditable 
steeple,  and  the  windows  are  usually  of  stained  or  painted 
glass.  The  interior  is  comfortably  and  neatly  furnished 
with  substantial  pews,  pulpit  furniture,  an  organ,  and  a 
bookcase  for  church  and  Sunday-school  supplies.  As  a  rule 
the  church  is  kept  neat  and  clean  to  a  reasonable  degree  and 
much  pride  is  manifested  in  the  keeping  of  the  church.  The 
bell  is  an  important  part  of  the  church  building,  since  it 
appeals  to  the  negroes  with  unusual  force  and  serves  to 
remind  them  of  church  hours.  The  externals  of  the  negro 
church,  the  building,  the  bell,  the  equipment  and  furnishings 
are  pre-eminent  in  the  Negro's  thoughts  for  the  success  of 
his  Church.  These  and  successful  collections  are  causes  for 
the  heartiest  congratulation.  There  are,  however,  quite  a 
percentage  of  negro  churches  which  reflect  little  pride  and 
thrift.  Many  are  poorly  equipped  because  of  lack  of  funds 
and  poorly  kept  because  of  lack  of  interest  and  pride.  A 
neat  but  poor  building  does  not  appeal  to  the  majority  of 
negro  worshipers;  it  then  represents  only  a  place  to  meet, 
and  the  same  habits  of  filth  and  carelessness  are  found  as 
in  other  activities  of  the  Negro's  life.  Taken  as  a  whole, 
the  average  value  of  the  churches  studied  with  their  prop 
erties  is  $2710.00.  Each  church  receives,  in  addition  to  the 
names  of  the  town  in  which  it  is  located,  also  a  special  name, 
e.  g.,  Woodville  Grace  M.  E.,  Thompson  Bethlehem  Baptist,. 
Jackson  St.  Paul  A.  M.  E.,  and  other  scriptural  names. 


36i]  THE  NEGRO  CHURCH  AND  RELIGION  57 

The  membership  of  negro  churches  is  large,  although  it  is 
scarcely  more  than  sixty  per  cent  as  large  as  the  total  mem 
bership  of  the  fraternal  orders  in  some  communities  where 
the  Lodge  has  been  well  organized.  The  average  member 
ship  of  the  churches  studied  was  one  hundred  and  ninety 
eight.  The  average  in  the  Southern  States  was  only  one 
hundred  and  twenty  at  the  time  of  the  last  census  and  for 
the  entire  United  States  the  average  for  the  negro  Churches 
was  only  one  hundred  and  fourteen.  The  smaller  average, 
on  the  whole,  is  due  to  the  fact  that  many  negro  churches 
are  situated  in  localities  where  the  colored  population  is 
small.  Thus  when  several  denominations  have  organiza 
tions  in  small  communities,  the  membership  for  each  must 
be  small.  The  churches  studied,  then,  represent  the  more 
prosperous  churches.  Of  their  membership  some  two-thirds 
are  female  and  one-third  male.  In  many  cases  the  percent 
age  of  males  is  smaller,  ranging  from  one-tenth  to  one-half. 
About  fifteen  per  cent  of  the  membership  are  over  fifty 
years  of  age  and  only  about  five  per  cent  under  twenty 
years.  Perhaps  most  of  the  church  members  co-operate  in 
church  services  and  fifty  per  cent  are  willing  to  lead  pray 
ers.  From  two  to  four  church  papers  are  read  in  each 
congregation.  Although  superficial  in  many  respects,  such 
papers  are  well  conducted  on  the  whole  and  are  enthusiastic 
in  their  reports  and  suggestions.  Each  church  has  from 
two  to  six  church  societies  and  benevolent  associations  of 
which  the  women  constitute  the  greater  part  of  the  member 
ship.  The  churches  pay  their  pastors  an  average  salary  of 
$469.00  a  year,  with  such  other  assistance  and  hospitality 
as  he  may  receive.  The  highest  formal  salary  paid  any  pas 
tor  was  $900.00.  The  churches  pay  liberally  toward  gen 
eral  collections  and  are  assessed  for  missions  and  other  items 
an  average  of  seventy-eight  dollars;  some  were  assessed 
from  three  to  four  hundred  dollars. 


58       SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [362 

Religious  services  and  church  activities  mean  much  to  the 
Negro.  The  question  has  been  raised  whether  the  Lodge  is 
not  supplanting  the  Church  in  a  marked  degree  and  hinder 
ing  its  work.  Many  colored  preachers  openly  hold  that  the 
Lodge  is  coming  to  be  an  evil  because  of  its  interference 
with  the  work  of  the  Church.  Of  this  something  will  be 
said  subsequently.  However  this  may  be,  it  still  remains 
that  the  negroes  have  many  church  services,  and  that  they 
are  often  well  attended.  The  regular  church  services  are: 
preaching  in  the  morning  and  evening,  Sunday-school,  class 
meetings,  prayer-meetings,  business  meetings,  together  with 
the  meetings  of  the  missionary  societies  and  benefit  associa 
tions.  To  these  must  be  added  protracted  meetings  and 
church  conventions  or  conferences.  There  are  also,  in  con 
nection  with  the  churches,  funerals  and  public  baptizings, 
which  are  also  well  attended.  The  Sunday-schools  are  for 
the  most  part  conducted  in  the  morning  before  preaching.1 
The  church  societies,  the  membership  of  which  is  chiefly  wo 
men,  meet  in  the  afternoons. 

The  average  attendance  at  Sunday-school  is  not  large, 
being  perhaps  one-fifth  of  the  total  church  membership. 
The  attendance  at  the  morning  preaching  is  good;  most 
negroes  attend  church  on  Sunday,  though  many,  instead 
of  going  to  church,  visit  their  friends  in  which  cases  they  do 
not  "  dress  up  ".  The  morning  service  at  the  church  is  con 
ducted  along  the  usual  lines  according  to  denomination  and 
local  custom.  In  those  churches  where  regular  choirs  are 
provided,  special  music  is  rendered,  and  the  congregation 
does  not  take  a  prominent  part  in  the  singing;  where  less 
effort  is  made  to  procure  special  music,  appointed  leaders 

1  This  is  apparently  well  suited  to  the  afternoon  plans  of  the  negroes ; 
it  leaves  the  afternoon  free  for  strolling,  sitting  around  uptown  or 
elsewhere.  It  also  assists  in  gathering  the  morning  congregation, 
which  is  ordinarily  slow. 


THE  NEGRO  CHURCH  AND  RELIGION  59 

conduct  the  singing,  and  the  congregation  joins  in  all  the 
songs.  The  worship  is  prolonged  to  a  later  hour  than 
among  the  whites.  The  best  attendance  upon  church  exer 
cises  is  at  the  evening  sermon.  Before  the  time  arrives  for 
the  services  to  begin,  small  groups  gather  at  near-by  houses, 
often  at  the  parsonage;  other  groups,  composed  of  only 
men,  gather  around  the  church.  They  talk  here  at  length 
until  the  church  has  been  lighted,  and  a  few  ha*e  begun 
the  preliminaries  with  singing.  The  groups  then  begin  to 
wend  their  way  toward  the  church;  those  about  the  doors 
begin  to  enter  and  the  congregation  is  thus  made  up  rapidly. 
However,  stragglers  come  in  and  go  out  of  the  building  at 
intervals  during  the  entire  service.  The  preaching  begins 
twenty  to  forty  minutes  later  than  in  the  white  churches. 
The  order  of  service  is:  Singing,  prayer — many  songs  and 
a  number  of  prayers, — the  reading  of  the  scripture  lesson, 
and  sermon  by  the  preacher,  prayer  and  singing,  collection, 
benediction.  The  singing  is  usually  begun  by  lay-leaders 
who  conduct  the  prayer  and  song  service;  this  gives  oppor 
tunity  for  a  larger  number  of  members  to  take  an  active 
part  in  the  worship.  After  the  preliminaries  the  pastor 
takes  charge  of  the  service  until  the  sermon  is  finished;  he 
generally  turns  the  remaining  part  of  the  meeting  over  to 
one  of  the  leaders  who  is  sitting  by  him  on  the  rostrum. 
Sometimes,  however,  the  preacher  himself  continues  through 
the  meeting,  and  where  special  collections  are  to  be  made, 
he  announces  the  purpose  for  which  the  collection  is  made 
and  urges  the  full  payment.  Many  announcements  of  a 
general  nature,  too,  are  made  at  the  close  of  the  service. 
The  benediction  is  pronounced  with  much  unction  and  the 
negroes  are  off. 

The  weekly  prayer-meetings  are  held  on  Tuesday,  Wed 
nesday.  Thursday  or  Friday  night ;  the  effort  is  made  not  to 


60       SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [364 

have  the  meetings  of  the  different  churches  conflict.1 
Church  services  begin  at  eight  or  eight-thirty  o'clock  in 
summer — earlier  in  winter;  the  hour  is  placed  late  in  order 
that  any  whose  duties  keep  them  may  attend.  However, 
the  attendance  at  prayer-meeting  is  not  large,  varying  in  the 
different  churches,  the  average  being  from  five  to  twenty- 
five.  This  attendance  is  smaller  than  formerly,  owing 
partly  to  the  fact  that  some  of  the  lodges  meet  at  the  same 
time.  As  a  rule,  men  are  in  the  majority  at  the  mid-week 
meetings ;  most  of  the  older  men  attend.  The  pastor  is  not 
always  present  at  the  prayer-meeting,  though  it  is  his  cus 
tom  to  attend.  Sometimes  he  conducts  the  service  or  makes 
a  talk.  More  generally  the  service  is  conducted  by  an  ap 
pointed  leader ;  the  hour  is  spent  in  singing  and  praying  and 
talks  from  the  members  present ;  the  service  is  an  impressive 
one.  The  leader  "  lines  "  each  song  and  all  respond  in  the 
singing;  at  those  services  where  only  a  few  are  present,  the 
leader  calls  on  each  one  for  prayer,  and  it  often  happens  that 
every  person  present,  man  and  woman,  has  led  in  prayer 
before  the  service  is  concluded;  some  have  prayed  more 
than  once.  Their  prayers  are  very  appropriate  for  the  oc 
casion.  There  is  no  hurry,  and  the  meeting  extends  to  a 
late  hour ;  often  a  group  of  five  or  ten  remain  singing,  pray 
ing,  and  talking  until  eleven  o'clock;  after  service  they  ask 
after  each  other's  "  folks  ".  In  some  localities  the  prayer 
meeting  is  well  attended  and  often  takes  the  form  of  a  re 
vival,  but  conducted  on  the  general  lines  mentioned. 

1  The  negroes  almost  invariably  leave  their  own  churches  if  unusual 
attractions  are  going  on  at  a  neighboring  church ;  the  chief  drawing 
card  being  that  of  the  protracted  meeting  in  its  advanced  stages.  A 
Baptist  preacher  remarked  dryly,  but  with  a  touch  of  humor,  to  the 
handful  gathered:  "Well,  we  couldn't  expect  many  to  be  here  tonight; 
the  big  meeting  over  at  the  A.  M.  E.  and  a  presiding  elder  at  the 
C.  M.  E." 


365]  THE  NEGRO  CHURCH  AND  RELIGION  fa 

Those  churches  which  hold  regular  class  meetings  have 
additional  features  of  worship.  The  preliminaries  to  these 
meetings  are  very  similar  to  those  mentioned ;  sometimes  the 
choir  practices  songs  for  the  Sunday  morning  worship.  As 
a  rule  the  class  meetings  are  well  attended;  old  and  young 
attend,  with  slightly  more  women  than  men.  An  appointed 
leader  conducts  the  devotional  exercises  in  which  he  reads 
a  passage  from  the  Bible  and  makes  a  short  talk.  y\fter  the 
devotional  exercises  the  leaders  take  charge  of  their  classes, 
the  number  of  classes  varying  from  five  to  twenty  according 
to  the  membership  of  the  church.  Such  classes  occupy  sec 
tions  in  various  parts  of  the  church;  those  occupying  seats 
in  a  section  belong  respectively  to  the  class  numbered  for 
that  section,  though  it  is  customary  for  the  classes  to  have 
a  certain  number  of  regular  members.  Not  infrequently 
the  leaders  are  absent  and  others  must  be  appointed  to  take 
their  places ;  these  leaders  are  chosen  from  among  the  best 
church  members :  as  a  rule  they  are  good  "  workers  "  in  the 
church.  The  leader  of  a  class  is  accustomed  to  approach 
members  of  his  division  and  ascertain  by  questioning  what 
is  the  spiritual  condition  of  each;  the  method  is  effective. 
After  talking  for  a  short  while  the  leader  takes  the  hand 
of  the  one  to  whom  he  is  talking  and  continues  his  interro 
gation  until  he  is  satisfied  with  the  response  given.  He 
talks  of  the  soul's  salvation;  he  warns  and  instructs;  he 
often  pleads — it  is  his  personal  work.  Here,  too,  the 
negroes  ask  for  prayer  and  guidance  to  the  "  Solid  Rock  ". 
and  exchange  experiences.  No  sooner  does  a  newcomer 
enter  the  building  than  he  is  approached  by  one  of  the 
leaders,  who  immediately  engages  him  in  conversation. 
The  young  fellows  often  smile  when  first  approached;  but 
the  leader  is  not  at  all  taken  aback.  Soon  the  youngsters 
are  seen  to  become  restless  and  a  more  serious  expression 
comes  over  their  faces;  and  so  anxious  are  they  to  escape 


62       SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [366 

so  direct  an  appeal  that  they  often  give  the  desired  assur 
ance  to  the  leader,  who  threatens  that  God  will  punish  them 
in  this  world  and  in  the  world  to  come.  Such  results  are 
not  without  their  wholesome  effect.  While  all  this  is  go 
ing  on  in  the  various  parts  of  the  church,  some  of  those  who 
are  not  actively  engaged  in  the  work  keep  up  the  singing, 
so  that  the  personal  work  may  be  done  more  effectively. 
Sometimes  after  the  leaders  are  through  with  their  classes, 
they  exchange  experiences ;  "happy"  times  often  follow.  The 
secretary  then  calls  for  reports  from  the  various  classes,  in 
cluding  reports  of  the  number  present  and  the  collection 
taken.  The  total  report  by  classes  is  then  read.  The  col 
lections  are  usually  creditable.  When  the  report  is  finished 
they  sing  a  song  or  two  and  are  dismissed.  Though  there 
is  much  form  and  superficiality  of  expression  in  the  class 
meeting,  permanent  results  are  apparently  achieved. 

The  four  general  subjects  under  which  worship  and 
church  services  among  the  negroes  may  further  be  described 
are:  Songs  and  music,  prayers,  preaching,  and  collections. 
Of  the  negro  church  songs  a  part  are  selected  from  the  re 
gular  denominational  song  books,  not  unlike  those  sung  by 
white  congregations,  and  a  part  are  more  or  less  peculiarly 
adapted  to  the  negroes.  Many  of  the  latter  consist  of  a 
general  mingling  of  the  words  and  music  of  several  songs ; 
some  are  local  in  their  origin  and  usage.  The  negro-folk 
songs  and  spirituals  are  still  popular  for  church  music. 
Both  the  singing  of  the  songs  and  the  matter  contained  in 
the  stanzas  are  significant.  In  addition  to  the  tune  in  which 
the  songs  are  written,  the  Negro  always  puts  his  own  music 
into  the  singing,  and  his  own  interpretation  into  the  words. 
This  together  with  the  "  feeling-attitude  "  which  is  uncon 
sciously  his,  and  the  satisfaction  which  he  obtains  from  the 
singing  of  his  songs,  puts  church  music  among  the  negroes 
into  a  class  of  its  own. 


367]  THE  NEGRO  CHURCH  AND  RELIGION  63 

Church  services  are  opened  with  song;  a  leader  will  oc 
cupy  his  place  at  a  central  table  or  chair,  select  a  song,  and 
begin  to  sing.  Others  join  in,  and  the  crowd  begins  to 
gather.  This  leader  usually  lines  each  hymn  aloud,  reading 
two  lines,  then  singing.  By  "  lining  "  the  songs  is  meant 
the  careful  reading  of  the  lines,  so  that  the  audience  may 
get  the  words  and  join  in  the  singing.  With  the  negroes 
this  is  naturally  a  favorite  method.  The  leader  often  puts 
as  much  "  music-appeal  "  into  the  reading  of  the  songs  as 
he  does  in  his  singing  and  praying.  The  rhythmical,  swing 
ing  reading  adds  zest  to  the  singing  which  is  to  follow,  and 
secures  co-operation,  not  only  from  those  who  have  books 
and  can  read,  but  also  from  others  who  catch  up  the  lines. 
Most  of  the  negroes  who  take  part  in  the  regular  services 
know  all  the  common  hymns,  provided  they  are  given  a  start 
by  the  leader.  At  prayer-meeting,  the  leader  continues 
lining  the  songs  throughout  the  service;  at  preaching  the 
preacher  reads  the  regular  hymns,  while  the  leaders  start  the 
singing.  In  the  class  meetings,  while  the  leaders  are  en 
gaged  with  their  classes,  now  a  woman  on  this  side,  now  a 
man  or  woman  on  the  other  begins  the  song,  and  others 
join  in;  the  singing  is  conducted  similarly  while  collections 
are  being  made.  The  process  is  the  same  with  all — a  leader 
begins  to  sing — another  joins  in — then  another  and  another 
— until  gradually  all  are  singing.  A  much  greater  percent 
age  of  negroes  who  attend  church  sing  than  among  the 
white  people;  there  are  however  many  negroes  who  do  not 
sing  regularly;  this  is  not  because  they  can  not  sing  the 
songs  but  rather  because  they  are  not  disposed  to  take  part 
in  the  singing,  preferring  rather  to  remain  quiet.  The 
negroes  are  proverbial  for  their  good  singing.1  A  group 

1  See  American  Journal  of  Religious  Psychology  and  Education,  vol. 
3,  p.  277  seq. 


64       SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [-568 

of  five  negroes  singing  in  a  church  will  produce  a  volume 
of  song  which  would  appear  on  the  outside  to  be  the  equiva 
lent  of  thirty  or  forty  voices  in  a  white  church.  One  can 
hardly  appreciate  the  singing  of  the  negroes  at  church  until 
he  has  heard  on  a  quiet  Sunday  evening  from  some  position, 
say  on  a  hill,  the  singing  of  four  negro  congregations,  each 
clearly  audible.  It  would  appear  to  be  the  unrestrained  out 
burst  of  ten  thousand  souls,  or  the  rhythmical  expression 
of  deep  human  longing  and  feeling.  Inside  the  church,  one 
may  watch  the  leaders  as  they  line  the  hymns,  and  listen 
to  their  rich,  tremulous  voices;  he  may  see  the  others  re 
spond  and  hear  the  music  of  each  peculiar  voice.  The  lead 
er's  voice  apparently  betrays  great  emotion  as  he  reads  the 
lines,  and  as  *he  begins  to  sing.  He  appears  literally  to 
drink-in  the  inspiration  from  these  songs,  and  his  soul  seems 
to  be  filled  to  overflowing  as  he  sings  the  words  telling  of 
grace  and  redemption.  However,  he  manifests  the  same 
emotion  when  he  sings  one  song  as  he  does  when  he  sings 
another ;  the  same  emotion  when  he  reads  the  words  wrongly 
as  when  he  has  read  them  correctly;  it  makes  little  differ 
ence  to  him.  He  is  consumed  with  the  music  and  the  state 
of  feeling  which  singing  brings  to  him.  He  enjoys  singing 
to  the  fullest  extent ;  and  after  all,  perhaps  one  feeling  domi 
nates  his  whole  being,  and  there  can  be  no  song  to  him 
which  does  not  accord  with  this. 

A  full  analysis  of  the  music  of  negro  church  singing  in  its 
details  would  be  worthy  of  the  efforts  of  anyone  who  could 
describe  it.  A  few  details  apparently  characteristic  in  his 
sacred  music  may  be  noted :  The  singing  begins  slowly  and 
with  time-honored  regularity;  the  effect  made  by  voices 
joining  in  successively  is  agreeable.  With  tenor  and  bass 
and  varied  voices,  the  chorus-like  song  is  pleasing  and  satis 
fying.  Many  times  the  singers  begin  as  if  they  would  sing 
the  simple  tune  to  which  the  song  is  written.  But  in  a  short 


369]  THE  NEGRO  CHURCH  AND  RELIGION  65 

time,  apparently  unable  to  resist  the  impulse  to  give  their 
feelings  full  sway,  their  voices  fall  into  that  rhythmical 
swing  peculiar  to  the  negroes,  and  all  measures  alike  become 
stately.  They  continue  in  this  strain  until  the  song  is  fin 
ished.  Most  negroes  are  proud  of  a  good  choir  because  it 
represents  a  step  toward  a  model  which  they  seek  to  follow ; 
but  they  do  not  like  the  choir's  singing  so  well  as  they  love 
their  own.  The  Negro's  song  will  characterize  hi/ natural 
self  wherever  he  hears  it  sung  or  himself  sings;  he  is  loath 
to  give  it  up.  Many  pastors  affirm  that  so  far  as  they  know 
not  a  single  member  of  their  congregation  refuses  to  sing. 
Observation,  however,  shows  that  many  of  the  younger 
negroes  do  not  take  part  in  the  religious  songs;  many  who 
sing  do  not  appear  to  enter  fully  into  the  spirit  of  the  old- 
time  singing.  There  are,  however,  many  individual  young 
negroes  who  enter  heartily  into  all  the  services,  the  singing 
especially;  their  singing  mingled  with  that  of  the  older 
ones  adds  greatly  to  the  total  effect. 

The  pastors  do  not  seem  to  agree  as  to  the  favorite  songs 
sung  by  the  negroes  in  their  worship.  Inquiry  elsewhere, 
and  observations  show  that  there  are  a  number  of  favorites 
which  are  regularly  sung,  and  that  favorite  themes  are  com 
mon,  mostly  noticeable  in  the  prayer-meetings  and  evening 
services.  One  may  attend  week  after  week  and  hear  the 
same  songs ;  the  negroes  know  these  and  love  to  sing  them. 
As  of  old  they  enjoy  singing  of  Heaven  and  rest  where 
luxury  and  ease  abound  and  where  Sabbaths  have  no  end. 
They  love  to  sing  the  praises  of  the  Deliverer  who  shall  free 
them  from  life's  toils ;  they  have  learned  the  "  good  old  " 
songs  and  have  placed  new  feeling  into  them  and  a  different 
interpretation.  The  meaning  of  the  words  and  the  senti 
ment  of  the  songs  are  transcended  by  the  expression  in  the 
singing.  The  accustomed  manner  together  with  the  re 
sponsive  feeling  absorb  whatever  attitude  of  pure  devotion 


66       SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [370 

might  exist.  Of  the  hymns,  the  songs,  "  There  is  a  Foun 
tain  Filled  with  Blood  ",  "  How  Sweet  the  Name  of  Jesus 
Sounds  in  a  Believer's  Ear  ",  "  Show  Pity,  Lord,  O  Lord 
Forgive  ",  "  O  for  a  Thousand  Tongues  to  Sing  my  Great 
Redeemer's  Praise  ",  and  the  others,  may  be  heard ;  others 
not  so  common  are  sung  as  favorites  for  the  simple  reason 
that  these  folks  have  learned  to  sing  and  love  them.  The 
Negro  looks  always  to  some  future  state  for  happiness,  and 
sings  with  peculiar  faith  the  common  lines :  "  We've  seen 
our  foes  before  us  flee  ",  "  We've  seen  the  timid  lose  their 
fears",  "  We've  seen  the  prisoners  burst  their  chains", 
"  We've  seen  the  guilty  lose  their  stains  ".  Likewise  they 
sing  of  an  eternal  rest  and  of  a  Sabbath  that  "  ne'er  shall 
end  ".  Such  songs  appeal  to  the  Negro's  idea  of  the  fitness 
of  worship  and  accord,  as  well,  with  the  ideal  of  rhythmical 
perfection  expressed  in  music  and  the  feeling  of  the  wor 
shiper. 

In  addition  to  the  standard  favorite  hymns  there  are 
many  folk-songs  and  spirituals  which  are  especially  pleasing 
and  appropriate  for  most  negro  congregations.  Indeed 
many  of  the  old  spirituals  are  still  popular  among  the  ne 
groes  and  take  the  place  of  the  church  hymns.  Negro 
preachers,  in  addition  to  the  fact  that  they  themselves  en 
joy  such  songs,  take  advantage  of  their  peculiar  power  to 
sway  the  feelings  of  the  negroes  into  accustomed  channels. 
These  are  the  Negro's  own  songs  and  set  forth  the  peculiar 
expression  of  his  being;  they  are,  moreover,  beautiful,  child 
like,  simple  and  plaintive.  Some  of  the  old  songs  are  sung 
often  with  little  modifications;  others  are  mixed  with  new 
and  old  songs,  taking  on  new  forms  and  meanings,  but 
clearly  the  product  of  the  negro  singers.1  Perhaps  the  mass 
of  negro  worshipers  prefer  the  old  songs  to  the  hymns  of 

1  Op.  cit.,  passim. 


THE  NEGRO  CHURCH  AND  RELIGION  67 

the  churches,  for  in  them  is  found  the  truest  expression  of 
nature  and  life  as  they  are  reflected  in  the  Negro  of  to 
day.  They  are  not  the  expression  of  complex  life  but  of 
simple  longing.  They  set  forth  the  more  simple  thoughts  of 
an  imaginative  and  emotional  worship.  They  magnify  the 
personal  and  spectacular  in  religion.  They  satisfy  the  love 
of  melody,  crude  poetry  and  sonorous  language.  Simple 
thought  is  expressed  in  simple  rhyming  phrases.  Repeti 
tion  of  similar  thoughts  and  a  single  chorus,  with  simple  and 
pleasing  music  lending  itself  to  harmonious  expression,  are 
characteristic.  The  music  is  specially  adapted  to  the  chorus- 
like  singing  which  is  produced  by  the  informal  carrying  of 
many  parts  by  the  singers.  A  single  leader  is  often  re 
quired  while  a  swelling  chorus  of  voices  take  up  the  refrain. 
As  "  shoutin'  sings  "  and  "  runnin'  speerichils  "  they  are 
well  suited  to  protracted  meetings  and  "  good  feelin' ". 
Throughout  the  narrative  style,  the  inconsequential,  dis 
jointed  statements,  the  simple  thought  and  fastidious 
rhymes,  the  music  of  the  songs  tend  to  take  into  it  the 
qualities  of  the  Negro's  native  expression — strains  minor 
and  sad  in  general  expression.  With  the  idea  gained  from 
the  music  of  the  songs  must  be  joined  the  church  scenes  and 
personalities  freely  mingled  with  the  music.  The  preach 
ing,  praying,  singing,  shouting,  swaying  and  the  unity  of 
negro  worship — perfection  of  rhythmic  sing-song,  together 
with  the  throbbing  impulses  of  the  people  make  the  negro 
music  what  it  is.  Thus  it  happens  that,  for  the  most  part, 
all  religious  songs  become  spirituals  and  easily  merge  into 
satisfying  melodies  when  the  occasion  demands.  Likewise 
the  negroes  reach  their  climax  in  fervent  outbursts  alike  in 
all  songs  that  lend  themselves  to  a  free  expression. 

Negro  church  music  is  beautiful  and  impressive.  The 
prayers  uttered  by  negroes  at  church  may  be  similarly  de 
scribed  ;  moreover  they  are  pathetic  and  eloquent.  As  the 


68       SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [372 

Negro  is  very  much  of  a  religious  being,  so  he  appears  to  be 
specially  fitted  by  nature  and  cultivation  for  making  appeals 
to  divine  power.  A  large  per  cent  of  the  negroes  love  to 
pray  in  public;  some  pastors  testify  that  all  will  pray  on 
most  occasions  when  called  upon,  while  others  affirm  that  a 
majority  would  do  so.  In  some  of  the  larger  towns  only  a 
small  number  are  reported  as  willing  leaders.  It  is  true, 
at  any  rate,  that  those  who  are  called  upon,  both  men  and 
women,  usually  respond.  Passing  over  the  well-worded 
and  deliberate  utterances  of  a  few  more  modern  preachers 
and  leaders,  the  prayer  which  is  common  to  the  great  mass 
of  negro  churchmen  —  the  natural  prayer  —  may  be  de 
scribed.  Such  prayers  are  ordinarily  appropriate  and  earn 
est;  the  manner  is  full  of  appeal  and  reverence.  They  are, 
for  the  most  part,  well  worded  and  uttered ;  there  is  seldom 
hesitancy  and  faltering  in  the  negro  prayer.  Nowhere  is 
the  rich  voice  of  the  black  man  more  manifest  than  in  the 
pathetic  tone  in  which  he  utters  his  appeals.  It  would  ap 
pear  to  be  the  voice  of  a  penitent  child  and  grateful  servant 
crying  out  to  the  Father  and  Master  in  a  darkness  pene 
trated  only  by  a  single  ray  of  light.  However,  the  same 
tremor  and  pathetic  eloquence  is  heard  in  a  slight  petition 
as  in  a  more  sorrowful  invocation.  Again  the  one  attitude 
is  made  up  of  an  expectant  manner  and  general  feeling. 

Reduced  to  its  particulars  the  negro's  prayer  is  very 
formal.  There  are  three  general  parts,  and  two  general 
tones  are  noticeable  as  a  characteristic  utterance.  The 
manner  and  tone  of  the  first  and  third  parts  are  the  same; 
the  first  part  is  the  introduction  and  consists  of  chosen 
phrases  uttered  in  a  low  and  deliberate  tone.  The  second 
part  consists  of  the  rising  fervor  and  climax,  in  which  part 
is  the  body  of  the  prayer.  This  is  uttered  sometimes  in 
tones  of  most  pathetic  appeal;  sometimes  the  voice  of  the 
speaker  trembles  as  if  he  were  too  full  of  emotional  con- 


373]  THE  NEGRO  CHURCH  AND  RELIGION  (^ 

flicts  for  further  utterance.  Sometimes — often — the  words 
are  beautifully  eloquent.  More  often  the  body  of  the 
prayer  is  a  mean  between  two  extremes — musical  and  rhy 
thmical,  it  yet  has  the  typical  swing.  The  third  part,  which 
is  the  close  of  the  petition,  is  an  abrupt  change  of  voice. 
There  is  no  falling  action  to  the  negro  prayer ;  from  highly 
pathetic  appeal  to  calm  and  deliberate  utterance,  the  prayer 
is  changed  as  quickly  as  the  voice  can  possibly  be  altered. 
The  effect  is  impressive.  A  characteristic  of  these  prayers 
is  the  frequent  repetition  of  some  appellation  of  the  Divinity; 
of  such  expressions  the  negroes  have  many.  The  petitions, 
too,  are  many ;  they  pray  for  those  who  are  absent  from  ser 
vice,  and  for  those  who  are  "  away  in  foreign  lands  ",  by 
which  is  often  meant  in  a  neighboring  town  or  county  or 
state;  they  pray  for  "sinners",  for  "gamblers",  for 
"  drunkards  ",  and  for  "  dancin'  women  ".  They  pray,  too, 
for  the  sick,  the  widows  and  the  orphans.  There  is  much 
repetition  in  their  prayers.  The  special  features  and  char 
acteristics  of  the  negro  prayer  are  illustrated  by  the  ex 
amples  given  below.  The  body  of  the  prayer,  which  is  in 
toned,  is  written  in  italics.  The  first  and  last  of  the  prayer 
are  uttered  in  the  most  impressive  and  deliberate  manner 
which  the  negro  can  command  with  slow  and  subdued  tones. 
"  O  Lord,  to  night  our  Fadder,  we  thank  thee  for  the  pri 
vileges  which  thou  has  promised  us  to  engage  in  this  hour 
for  the  express  purpose  of  having  us  to  worship  thee  with 
reverent  prayer.  Most  holy  Fadder,  besides  thee  we  know 
no  other  name  whereby  we  can  be  saved.  Most  holy  God, 
our  Fadder,  our  Fadder,  you  have  said  in  yo}  most  holy 
an'  written  word  that  where  one  or  two  or  three  o3  yo' 
belicvin'  servants  come  togedder  you  would  be  in  de  midst 
of  yo}  chilluns.  And  Oh,  Oh,  Jesus,  we  ask  you  to  come 
into  this  little  'sembly  an'  endow  us  with  thy  spirit.  We'se 
but  frail  creatures  an'  evil;  we  doan  feel  worthy  o}  callin' 


70       SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [374 

on  you  to  night,  our  heavenly  Father,  we  doan  feel 
worthy  o'  calliri  on  thee,  but  we  ask  you  to  night  to  come 
into  our  midst.  O  Lord,  bless  them  that's  not  here,  hover 
'round  them  the  arm  o}  protection.  We  ask  you  to  bless  the 
sinner  to  night  an3  the  gambler  an'  we  ask  you  to  bless  the 
dancin'  women.  We  thank  thee  to  night,  our  Fadder,  that 
las'  night  we  did  not  lay  down  on  de  bed  o'  death  an'  wake 
up  this  mornin'  in  the  mornin'  o'  judgment.  0  my  Lord, 
wouldst  thou  be  pleased  to  remind  me  that  tomorrow  the 
sun  may  rise  on  my  grave.  An'  0  Lord  wouldst  thou  be 
pleased  to  bless  yo'  servant  to  night  who's  been  waitin' 
so  long.  Oh,  oh,  my  Lord,  thou  divine  an'  heavenly  Father, 
God  of  the  world  an'  tender  love,  please  hear  yo'  servant 
to  night.  Oh,  oh,  my  Lord,  sometimes  we  try  to  weep  but 
we  can't  weep;  come  down  to  night  an'  weep  wid  us;  O 
Lord,  to  night,  our  Fadder,  sometimes  we  try  to  sing  an'  we 
can't  sing;  come  down  to  night,  our  Fadder,  an  sing  wid 
us 

"  Now,  our  Fadder,  when  we  done  toilin',  when  we  done 
meetin',  when  we  done  minglin'  here,  when  we  don't  'tend 
no  mo'  meetin's,  when  we'se  done  comin'  to  dis  ole  church — 
save  our  souls  is  the  petition  of  yo'  humble  servant,  for 
Chris'  sake — Amen." 

The  word  music  of  parts  of  the  prayer  is  given  on  page 
71 ;  to  the  tones  of  the  notes  must  be  added  the  peculiarities 
of  each  voice  and  the  rhythmical  pathos  expressed. 


'    OF  THE 

UNIVERSI 

Or 


THE  NEGRO  CHURCH  AND  RELIGION 
RECITATIVE. 


Most    ho  -   ly      God      our      Fad  -  der,         our    Fad  -  der,    you 


I 


g= — r 


-IN 4- 


have    said      in        yo'     most       ho  -  ly       an'     writ  -  ten    word 


that    where       one  or          two          or       three         or        four 


-4-       I         i: 


be  -   liev  -  in'     serv-ants   come      to   -    ge  -   der      you     would 


m 


be        in      de  'midst    of      yo     chil  -  'uns ;     And        oh,       o — h 


1      — 


i IF 


sus  we        ask          you        to      come       in     -     to 


this       lit-'le    'sem-bly      an'     en-dow    us     with  Thy  Spir  -  it. 

-3- 


J 1 X & > —  Xs— ^T  i 


VA/  Six 

Oh,        oh, 


—  y 


—  rd,       Thou     di  -  vine      an' 


EJ^^^EESE 
— i— * — ^=J — •-! 


heav'n-ly        Fad-  der,      God    of     the  world     an'    ten -der  love, 


p-      1-e-a-s-      e          heah     yo'     serv  -  ant       to  -  night. 


72       SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [376 


Hi 


Oh,  oh,         m  —  y  Lo 


Some-times    we 


I 


9 


tEEEE^ 


to    weep,       but      we    can't      weep;      Come       down 


r=T3: 


night,     our      Fad  -  der,       an'         weep          wid         us. 


ry~     '  IN 

-1s- 

1 

|V-      -|V-|—  J 

N 

m 

_  _ 

—  1  —  1 

TO  *  

j  ^ 

3 

•>'        J         •• 

j 

{2 

j 

1 

*     i 

Some -times    we         try          to     sing,      but      we     can't      sing; 


_] 

ffflv         ,xd--  ^^    . 

J      J      J 

—  } 

3  z     5* 

Come    down       to  -  night,  our  Fad-der,  an'      sing       wid      us. 


A  woman  prayed  in  most  pathetic  tones :  "  Oh  oh — Lord, 
to  night,  bless  the  basterin'  child,  wherever  he  is;  Oh — oh 
—Lord,  bless  my  mother's  children  scattered  in  foreign 
lands;  Oh — oh — Lord,  bless  my  sister's  children  to  night. 
Oh — oh — Lord,  you  knows  my  heart  an'  you  knows  I  wants 
to  do  right;  Oh — oh — my  Lord,  my  spirit's  strong  but  my 
flesh  is  weak — Oh — oh — Lord,  give  me  clean  hands  an'  clean 
heart,  an'  Oh — oh — Lord,  you  has  blessed  me  befo'  when  I 
prayed  an'  you  has  promised  to  bless  me  ag'in  if  I  come  in 
de  right  spirit,  an'  Oh — oh — Lord,  to  night  bless  me;  an' 
you  has  promised  to  have  mercy  on  yo'  chilluns  an'  it  does 
seem  like  we  need  mercy  over  the  Ian'  to  night.  ..."  A 
more  pathetic  appeal  can  scarcely  be  imagined;  so  are  the 
majority  of  the  prayers  commonly  heard  at  the  prayer 
meetings. 

The  Negro  also  utters  prayers  which  have  less  of  the 


377]  THE  NEGRO  CHURCH  AND  RELIGION  73 

plaintive  appeal  in  them;  they  are  less  eloquent,  though  the 
negroes  call  them  "  eloquent "  prayers.  They  are  more 
declamatory  and  are  uttered  with  much  satisfaction.  In 
all  the  negro  prayers,  the  audience  enters  into  the  spirit  of 
the  occasion ;  while  the  leader  is  praying,  many  others  assist 
by  their  fervent  sanctions.  In  the  prayers,  as  in  the  ser 
mons,  there  are  many  "  amens  "  uttered  by  both  men  and 
women.  To  each  sentence,  petition  or  marked  utterance, 
there  are  many  cries  of  amen,  grant  it  Lord,  Lord  help  us, 
and  the  like.  Together  with  the  prayer  they  assist  in  mak 
ing  rhythmic  harmony.  Sometimes,  after  the  leader  has 
finished  his  prayer,  he  begins  a  song  and  all  remain  kneeling 
or  bowed  while  they  chant  the  melody  or  tune  in  a  low 
monotone-like  manner.  With  lips  closed  they  hum  the 
tune  most  effectively ;  with  its  rise  and  fall  the  chant  adds  to 
the  perfection  of  rhythmical  feeling  and  is  most  beautiful  in 
itself. 

The  negroes  are  good  rjreachers.  The  majority  of  the 
older  negroes,  and  many  of  the  younger  ones  are  able  ex 
pounders  of  moral  rights  and  wrongs.  It  is  not  surprising 
that  there  are  many  "  exhorters  "  and  local  preachers  among 
them,  nor  that  their  preachers  preach  with  great  vigor. 
Many  of  the  sermons  preached  by  the  negroes  are  good,  giv 
ing  out  wholesome  advice.  Many  are  severe  in  their  de 
nunciation  of  sin  and  crime;  many  preachers  are  under 
stood  by  their  hearers  to  speak  in  a  more  or  less  incen 
diary  vein.  But  there  is  less  concern  at  this  point  with  the 
matter  of  the  sermon  than  with  the  methods  used  by  the 
preachers  and  the  manner  of  delivery,  with  the  part  the  ser 
mon  plays  in  the  unit  of  negro  worship.  The  college- 
trained  preachers  deliver  many  of  their  sermons,  for  the 
most  part,  after  the  manner  of  the  ordinary  white  preacher; 
they  often  strive  to  effect  a  similar  delivery.  Such  ser 
mons  are  not  infrequently  appropriated,  in  part  or  alto- 


74       SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [378 

gether  from  written  sermons.  Such  negro  preachers  are 
very  graceful  in  the  pulpit  and  bestow  great  pains  upon  the 
manner  in  which  they  are  to  deliver  their  sermons.  Ex 
cept  during  protracted  meetings,  and  on  special  occasions, 
their  manner  of  preaching  is  not  unlike  that  of  the  average 
speaker,  except  that  matter  is  made  subordinate  to  manner, 
There  are  many  attempts  at  humor,  most  of  which  are  suc 
cessful  in  their  way;  the  negroes  laugh  at  every  opportun 
ity.  Many  of  the  preachers,  too,  are  eloquent  speakers.  - 

But  the  average  preacher  conforms  to  no  rules  other  than 
those  of  natural  impulse  and  time-honored  custom.  Should 
he  memorize  a  sermon  and  attempt  to  deliver  it  in  a  deliber 
ate  manner,  he  would  find  such  a  difficult  feat.  After  the 
prayers  and  songs,  he  too  is  in  a  state  of  fervor  and  in 
most  cases  he  abandons  the  set  phrases  and  turns  into 
his  own  line  of  thought  and  expression.  It  thus  happens 
that  the  average  sermon  preached  to  the  negroes  has  a  pleas 
ing  effect  upon  the  congregation  and  receives  a  hearty  re 
sponse.  In  fact,  the  sermon  would  be  expected  to  conform 
to  the  songs  and  prayers  as  a  logical  sequence.  Such  must 
be  the  case  in  order  to  meet  the  demands  of  the  congregation 
and  to  satisfy  the  preacher's  own  inclination.  The  sermon 
is  composed  of  two  general  parts :  the  deliberate  utterance, 
and  the  swinging,  rhythmic  delivery  and  climax.  The  man 
ner  of  the  first  part  characterizes  the  beginning  of  the  ser 
mon  ;  the  preacher  announces  his  text,  begins  his  discourse, 
and  gradually  rises  to  the  personal  appeal.  The  second  part 
embodies  the  greater  part  of  the  sermon ;  in  this  the  preacher 
reaches  the  climax  in  "  true  poetic  height  ",  and  in  regular 
sing-song,  he  approaches  musical  recitative.  Again,  in  the 
opening  words  of  each  topical  division,  the  deliberate  man 
ner  is  used ;  while  in  the  climax  of  each  division  he  reaches 
the  same  height  of  sing-song.  Sometimes  the  words  are  in 
distinct,  and  the  attention  of  both  speaker  and  hearers  is 


379]  THE  NEGRO  CHURCH  AND  RELIGION  75 

absorbed  in  the  "  preachin'  ".  Sometimes  with  rhythm  of 
words  and  swaying  of  body  the  preacher  holds  his  audience 
spell-bound,  while  they  in  turn  lean  forward,  sometimes 
rocking  to  and  fro  to  the  time  of  the  preacher's  voice.  They 
agree  with  everything  the  preacher  says  without  pausing  to 
ascertain  the  truth  of  his  utterance.  He  often  repeats  a 
part  of  his  sermon  a  number  of  times,  the  audience  nodding 
their  approval  and  uttering  shouts  of  assent  with  g/owing 
enthusiasm.  The  negro  preacher  receives  a  respectful  hear 
ing,  and  his  audience  is  always  responsive.  While  he  pro 
claims  the  words  of  his  message  there  may  be  heard  on  all 
sides  cries  of:  "  Talk  to  'em,  preacher",  "Great  God", 
"Ha,  Ha",  "You're  right,  brother",  "Yes?",  "Yes- 
yes  ",  "  Preachin'  ",  "  Preachin',  now  ">  "  Now  you're 
preachin'",  "Talk  about  it",  "  Talkin'",  "Holy  Lord", 
"Truth",  "God  grant  it",  "Good  Lord,  that's  right", 
"  Lord  help  us  ",  "  Preach  de  word  ",  "  Dat's  so  ",  "Amen  ", 
"  ain't  de  Lawd  a-talkin'  ",  and  many  others.  Mingled  with 
such  exclamations  are  frequent  grunts,  the  sound  of  which 
could  scarcely  be  reproduced;  it  would  be  recognized  as 
"huh"  pronounced  with  a  nasal  twang,  now  low,  now  high. 
The  exclamations  may  be  heard  whether  an  old-time  preacher 
occupies  the  pulpit,  or  a  more  modern  one,  or  even  a  white 
minister.  Negro  preachers  do  not  discourage  this,  but  on 
the  contrary  they  often  defend  it,  saying  that  they  "  b'lieve 
in  advertisiir  religion  when  you've  got  it  ".  The  exclama 
tions  increase  as  the  fervor  of  the  preacher  rises ;  the  utter 
ance  of  these  exclamations  is  very  satisfying  and  greatly 
assists  the  preacher.  Such  responsive  exclamations  serve 
to  complete  the  current  of  rhythm  when  the  preacher  must 
pause,  or  to  stress  those  rising  notes  which  his  own  voice 
emphasizes.1 

1  If  we  wish  to  balance  the  two  factors,  we  may  place  the  tones  of 


76       SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [380 

The  characteristic  tones  of  the  sing-song  heard  in  the 
preaching  and  the  expressions  of  responses  uttered  by  the 
"  lay  "  members  are  almost  reproducible  in  musical  nota 
tion.  An  example  of  a  common  type  of  sermon  heard  among 
the  negroes  is  given  below.  The  preacher  was  a  graduate 
of  one  of  the  colored  theological  colleges;  in  his  sermon 
to  a  large  audience,  he  began  with  a  very  dignified  manner 
and  made  a  most  favorable  impression  upon  his  hearers. 
One  would  think  that  he  is  going  to  avoid  the  old-time  style ; 
but  it  will  be  seen  that  he  reaches  a  high  poetic  pitch,  though 
slightly  different  from  the  extreme  sing-song  and  dramatic 
utterances  of  the  more  primitive  negro  preacher.  He  is  ar 
rayed  in  a  black  robe  and  as  he  speaks  of  the  "  wings  of  the 
morning  "  he  uses  his  arms  with  the  flowing  sleeves  for 
splendid  effect;  this  pleases  both  the  audience  and  himself, 
for  he  repeats  the  gesture  with  satisfaction.  The  sermon  is 
supplemented  richly  with  the  shouts  of  "amen."  The  musi 
cal  notation  of  sermon  and  exclamations  follows. 

the  preacher  on  one  side  and  the  exclamations  of  response  from  the 
audience  on  the  other.  Or  again,  if  we  liken  the  sing-song  to  a  series 
of  metrical  verses  in  which  each  verse  has  one  or  more  caesural  pauses 
and  the  end  of  each  line  is  catalectic  or  incomplete,  the  exclamations 
may  be  said  to  occupy  the  time  taken  up  by  the  pauses  and  to  rhythmi 
cally  connect  each  line  or  verse  without  loss  of  continuity,  time  or  har 
mony.  Were  the  metrical  scheme  completed,  other  exclamations  would 
serve  as  stress  or  ictus  in  ascending  and  descending  measures.  Thus 
neither  is  complete  without  the  other — still  they  must  and  do  go  on  at 
the  same  time.  Though  monotonous,  and  to  some  extent  almost  un 
bearable  to  some  sensitive  ears,  after  the  first  few  times  of  hearing 
it,  such  worship  is  nevertheless  an  almost  perfect  harmony  of  rhythm. 


THE  NEGRO  CHURCH  AND  RELIGION 


77 


RECITATIVE. 

A 


'-i — I-     I    i  TT1     1      T^ 

r          W * — «t — +>-\-~ ^ -j—^3— 


Yes,      my  breth-er  -in,  we've  been  troub-led  with     the      sin-ner 


1  --  1      I       | 

j      j    =^ 


long       e-nuf;then     at       the     great    Judg-ment  day,  we'll 


see    them     all    sent    off     to  hell      and  there'll  be       re-joic-in' 


t=3=5t 


for         we       won't    be         troub  -  led  with  them         an     -     y 


mo';  We've  prayed  for 'em  an'    we  talked  with 'em     an'    now   we 


I 


won't     be     both-er-ed   with  them  an   -    y     mo'.    Oh,    with  the 


wings  of    the    morn-ing,  I'd    fly    to       that  heav'n- ly   home. 


zz 


Preachin'. 


Yes,  my    Lo-rd. 


Yes,  yes. 


Ha,  ha. 


78       SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [382 

At  the  close  of  a  service  in  which  there  had  been  a  num 
ber  of  penitents  at  the  altar,  an  officer  who  had  been  sitting 
on  the  rostrum  came  to  the  front,  and  with  his  broadest  grin 
and  most  polite  manner,  said :  "  The  Lawd's  done  been 
here,  I  knows  he  has  " ;  and  he  added,  "  done  come  an' 
gone  away  an'  now  we  wants  to  get  down  to  business — I 
wants  some  money."  In  this  action  he  characterized  his 
church  more  than  he  was  aware.  For,  as  a  rule,  the  collec 
tion  occupies  the  most  important  place  in  the  total  of  church 
activities.  Collections  made  by  negroes  are  marvels;  they 
represent  a  great  part  of  the  strivings  of  negro  church 
members ;  it  is  not  surprising  that  they  represent  much  satis 
faction.  The  church  collections  fall  into  two  general  divis 
ions  :  those  taken  in  the  church  itself  at  regular  services, 
and  those  made  outside  by  means  of  various  methods.  The 
collections  made  at  class  meetings  have  been  mentioned;  in 
a  similar  manner  they  take  collections  at  Sunday-school. 
Other  methods  may  be  described. 

No  church  has  been  found  which  does  not  use  the  "table" 
way  of  taking,  up  collections  in  the  church.  This  method 
is  used  for  raising  money  for  incidentals,  and  all  miscel 
laneous  collections  called  for  from  time  to  time.  A  table  is 
placed  in  the  front  part  of  the  church ;  after  the  other  exer 
cises  are  over  a  secretary  and  "  counter  "  take  their  places 
by  the  table.  The  leader  announces  at  length  the  purpose 
for  which  the  collection  is  being  made.  One  by  one  the 
negroes  bring  their  contributions  and  place  them  on  the 
table.  They  do  not  hurry;  they  do  not  come  in  groups. 
One  would  judge  at  the  beginning  of  such  a  collection  that 
no  one  would  respond,  and  that  the  collection  would  be 
a  complete  failure.  While  this  delay  is  going  on,  the 
preacher  or  leader  urges  his  cause  effectively,  and  others 
sing.  Presently  one  will  bring  a  small  coin,  place  it  on 
the  table,  and  return  to  his  place.  Then  another,  and  an- 


THE  NEGRO  CHURCH  AND  RELIGION  79 

other — until  several  dollars  have  been  received.  A  single 
individual  will  often  "  go  up  "  six  or  seven  times  during  one 
collection,  giving  a  nickel  each  time.  Negroes  usually  give 
the  last  cent  they  have  with  them.  The  men  often  give  their 
coins  to  the  women  who  in  turn  carry  them  forward  as  their 
contribution.  The  women  enjoy  this,  and  the  young  fel 
lows  vie  with  each  other  in  furnishing  their  favorites  with 
money.  The  husband  must  furnish  his  wife  as  muc^  as  he 
can  obtain ;  much  more  than  he  can  afford.  Negro  women 
have  been  known  to  spend  half  the  wages  of  the  husband 
in  contributions  to  the  church  and  various  societies.  It  is 
the  woman's  great  desire  to  appear  to  give  more  than  any 
one  else.  The  negroes  love  to  display  their  finery  before 
the  congregation;  it  thus  happens  that  a  negro  will  have  a 
quarter  dollar  changed  into  nickels  and  give  it  in  this  form. 
Apparently  they  all  have  a  mania  for  handling  money  in 
small  pieces.  It  is  thus  that  their  money  is  raised  and  the 
amounts  raised  are  surprisingly  large.  The  time  occupied 
in  taking  these  collections  varies  from  thirty  minutes  to  an 
hour  and  a  half.  The  ease  and  grace  with  which  the 
speaker  urges  more  money  is  a  part  of  the  exercise;  flattery 
and  pleasing  speeches  are  scarcely  to  be  surpassed.  The  ne 
groes  look  forward  from  week  to  week  to  the  collection  and 
direct  their  labors  and  savings  to  this  end.  Young  ne 
groes  aften  seek  work  for  a  few  hours  in  order  that  they 
may  get  money  for  this  purpose,  after  which  they  may  not 
be  persuaded  to  work  again.  Some  negroes  have  urged 
that  the  table  way  of  taking  all  common  collections  ought 
to  be  discontinued;  but  such  a  question  has  not  become 
an  issue.  A  class-leader's  remark  fell  with  little  effect 
when  he  said :  "  The  Lord  ain't  pleased  with  our  collection. 
We  ought  to  bring  our  contributions  to  the  class  meetin' 
and  give  them  quietly ;  but  my  people  wants  to  walk  up  here 
Sunday  an'  show  off  theirselves — anyway  we  makes  mo' 


80       SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [384 

contributions  to  the  devil  than  we  does  to  the  church  of  the 
Good  Lord."  Many  admit  that  they  would  prefer  other 
methods  to  be  used  but  to  stop  the  table  way  would  mean 
absolute  failure  in  meeting  assessments  and  demands  for 
money. 

To  raise  money  for  building  and  repairing  churches,  and 
for  general  and  miscellaneous  purposes,  where  larger 
amounts  are  wanted,  the  negroes  have  many  methods.  The 
banquet,  torch-light  supper,  box  supper,  feast  and  reception, 
are  described  elsewhere.1  Such  entertainments  are  always 
successful  in  that  they  succeed  in  raising  money.  The  aver 
age  negro  will  not  be  without  the  price  of  admission  if  he 
can  get  the  money — which  he  generally  does.  Concerts, 
too,  are  frequent,  in  which  many  take  part — reading,  re 
citing  or  singing,  purely  under  the  auspices  of  the  church; 
after  the  program  is  finished  they  serve  refreshments. 
Musical  and  literary  entertainments  are  given  as  often  as  a 
program  can  be  arranged.  If  an  unusually  good  one  is  to 
be  given,  circulars  are  scattered  over  the  town  and  tickets 
circulated  among  the  people.  On  the  circular,  tickets,  and 
printed  programs  full  announcement  will  be  made,  with 
exaggerated  enthusiasm. 

This  brings  the  crowd,  and  the  entertainment  is  often 
a  worthy  one.  Many  seek  to  enjoy  the  program  from  the 
outside.  Perhaps  the  windows  have  been  closed  and  the 
house  crowded.  After  the  exercises,  the  preacher  may  an 
nounce  that  he  regrets  that  the  room  has  been  so  warm  but 
"  we  wanted  all  we  paid  for  and  we  didn't  want  those  who 
did  not  pay  to  get  any,  and  anyway,  just  in  a  moment  you 
can  all  get  to  the  ice  box  and  cool  off."  This  has  the  de 
sired  effect,  and  when  the  ices  are  served  the  crowd  buys 
liberally,  remaining  late  in  the  evening.  It  is  a  great  so- 

1  See  Chapter  VI. 


385] 


THE  NEGRO  CHURCH  AND  RELIGION 


8l 


cial  event,  but  it  is  not  uncommon  for  the  negroes  to  clear 
more  than  a  hundred  dollars  at  such  an  entertainment. 
They  look  forward  with  much  anticipation  to  the  coming 
of  such  a  concert.  Their  attitude  toward  such  occasions 
is  well  illustrated  by  the  excuses  given  by  some  negro  wo 
men  who  refused  to  work  during  the  day  preceding  the  con 
cert,  saying :  "  I  wants  to  git  ready  for  the  musical ;  I 
wants  my  money's  wuth,  I  does."  ' 

When  larger  amounts  are  to  be  raised  still  other  methods 
are  devised.  A  favorite  method  will  be  described:  Clubs 
are  organized  having  captains  at  the  head  of  each,  who 
solicit  money  from  all  sources;  each  captain  in  turn  ap 
points  subworkers  and  seeks  the  honor  of  reporting  the  larg 
est  amount  at  the  final  counting.  Individuals  then  solicit 
funds  not  only  from  the  negroes  but  from  the  whites;  they 
report  to  their  favorite  captain.  Cards  are  gotten  out  for 
distribution  among  the  workers.  An  example: 


Club  No Mrs Captain 

M is  authorized 

to  solicit  funds  for  the  Bethlehem  Baptist  Church 
Ralley  to  be  returned  th  5th  Sunday  June  30th  1907 
Please  help  us  God  will  bless  the  cheerful  giver 


5555555555555555555555555 
5555555555555555555555555 

10  10  10  10  10  10  10  10  10  10  10  IO  IO  10  IO  IO  10 
10  10  10  10  10  10  10  10  10  IO  10  10  IO  IO  10  10  IO 

25  25  25  25  25  25  25  25  25  25  25  25  25  25  25  25  25 
50  50  50  50  50  50  50  50  50  50  50  50  50  ioo  ioo  ioo 

A.  D.  SMITH,  Pastor 


The  amount  given  is  checked  off  on  the  card  and  when  the 


82       SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [386 

first  card  has  been  exhausted,  another  is  taken.  Thus  each 
individual  co-worker  has  his  or  her  name  and  the  amount  ob 
tained  handed  in,  while  the  captain  reports  her  total  amount 
by  cards.  The  above  card  was  used  by  the  congregation  of 
a  Baptist  church  having  less  than  two  hundred  members; 
they,  raised  in  a  short  time  seven  hundred  and  fifty  dollars. 

One  other  method  may  be  mentioned ;  this  illustrates  well 
an  underlying  principle  and  spirit  of  giving  among  the  ne 
groes.  A  representative  from  one  of  the  church  colleges 
recently  preached  from  town  to  town,  speaking  to  large  au 
diences.  Before  closing  his  services  he  announced  that  a 
special  collection  would  be  made  at  a  specified  time — "  three 
weeks  from  to-day."  He  announced  further  that  their  col 
lege  had  now  paid  every  cent  of  its  mortgage,  a  copy  of 
which  he  had  in  his  possession.  He  would  present  this 
mortgage  to  that  person  who  should  bring  the  largest 
amount  of  money  at  the  stated  time.  This  person  is  to 
burn  the  mortgage  in  the  presence  of  many  people.  He 
adds :  "  Be  a  hero  among  your  people ;  let's  see  now  Avho 
will  get  this  mortgage  and  destroy  it  and  thus  go  down  in 
history  as  a  hero  to  your  people." 

It  will  be  seen  that  all  church  functions  and  services  are 
agreeable  to  the  negro's  nature.  The  church  satisfies  as 
much  as  anything  else  his  social  wants,  and  relieves  his 
psycho-physical  cravings.  His  worship  is  music  to  his  soul, 
whether  it  be  in  the  word-music  of  prayers  and  sermon,  or 
in  the  natural  music  of  his  song,  or  in  the  rhythm  of  all  com 
bined.  It  is  all  freedom  from  restraint,  and  the  gratification 
of  impulse,  and  the  experience  of  sustained  languor.  Al 
though  the  Negro  expends  a  great  deal  of  energy  in  his  re 
ligious  devotions,  it  is  nevertheless  resting  to  him.  He  ap 
pears  to  manifest  the  same  tendency  and  principle  as  one 
who  is  tired,  or  grieved,  and  finds  no  relief  so  immediate  as 
giving  way  to  feeling,  loud  singing,  or  crying  out;  or  as 


387]  THE  NEGRO  CHURCH  AND  RELIGION  go 

one  of  weak  mind  constantly  whistles  or  sings  regardless  of 
words  or  tune.  What  the  negro  thinks  to  be  total  confes 
sion  and  contrite  submission  has  a  very  soothing  effect 
upon  him;  the  songs  are  even  more  satisfying  to  his  nature. 
Many  older  negroes  may  be  seen  with  heads  resting  back 
ward — sometimes  forward — and  their  eyes  closed  as  they 
sing  vigorously  their  favorite  songs.  Their  senses  are  all 
turned  toward  the  perception  of  one  attitude,  and  fcsides 
a  wonderful  tranquillity  of  feeling,  they  also  see  visions. 
The  Negro  is  at  ease  and  can  give  expression  to  his  feel 
ings  among  his  fellows  without  hindrance  and  interruption, 
and  without  incentive  to  action.  Is  it  surprising,  then,  that 
after  a  day's  hard  work,  while  he  has  passed  the  hours  away 
in  emptiness  or  misguided  thinking  or  perverted  notions, 
that  he  finds  sweet  rest  in  some  melodious  songs  and 
rhythmic  verses  as  he  rests  his  body  in  the  pew?  Is  it  sur 
prising  that  he  does  not  want  to  leave  until  a  late  hour,  when 
he  has  little  to  attract  him  to  his  home,  where  he  must 
begin  again  to  think  of  work  which  is  disagreeable  to  him? 
Is  it  to  be  expected  of  him  that  he  would  desire  to  hasten 
when  he  can  stay  here  in  the  crowd  and  listen  to  songs  and 
sing,  hear  and  offer  petitions  in  which  he  feels  some  kind  of 
communion  with  the  mysterious?  Likewise  it  is  little  sur 
prising  that  the  attitude  of  the  negroes  is  often  one  of  list 
less  apathy  when  they  have  finished  their  worship. 

The  protracted  meetings  of  the  negroes,  church  confer 
ences,  and  baptizings  are  yet  to  be  mentioned.  No  attempt 
will  be  made  to  describe  them  in  every  particular.  The  re 
vival  services  held  during  the  protracted  meeting  may  be 
said  to  be  a  series  of  meetings  like  those  already  mentioned, 
except  that  they  are  carried  to  a  greater  extreme.  There 
is  more  preaching,  more  praying,  and  more  singing,  and 
with  it  all  more  shouting  and  perfect  unity  of  negro  worship 
— perfection  of  rhythmic  sing-song  as  it  is  found  in  the  re- 


84       SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [388 

ligious  services  of  the  negroes.  There  are  many  altar  ser 
vices;  "  propositions  "  are  popular — at  least  they  are  numer 
ous — among  the  colored  people,  though  they  do  not  always 
easily  respond  to  an  appeal.  At  the  altar  there  is  much 
manifestation  of  concern,  though  it  is  doubtful  if  there 
is  much  of  real  salvation.  At  these  meetings,  too,  there 
is  much  shouting  during  which  those  who  have  become 
"  happy  "  must  be  "  held  down."  This  is  done  in  various 
ways,  for  instance,  by  one  negro  standing  directly  in  front 
of  the  one  who  is  shouting  and  placing  his  hands  firmly  upon 
his  shoulders.  He  thus  holds  him  as  he  attempts  to  jump 
up;  presently  one  will  see  the  spectacle  of  two  jumping  in 
stead  of  one — first  the  one  leaping  into  the  air,  then  the 
other,  both  shouting  all  the  while.  Other  manifestations 
are  evident;  crying,  laughing,  and  general  exuberance  are 
accompanied  by  general  movements  of  the  body.1  Many 
negroes  testify  that  not  infrequently  these  occasions  are 
used  for  personal  abuse  by  those  who  are  evil-minded,  or 
those  who  have  "  malice  in  their  hearts  ".  It  may  take  the 
form  of  slapping  or  running  into  each  other  violently;  in 
the  case  of  women,  "  accidentally  "  using  a  hat  pin  or  sit 
ting  on  the  new  hat  of  a  "  sister  ".  No  attempt  will  be 
made  to  describe  their  trances,  though  there  is  much  of 
reality  in  them  to  the  negroes.2  The  penitents  are  not  al- 

1  One  may  observe  a  negro  congregation  thus  wrought  up  with  some 
satisfaction    from   a   distance,   provided   the   windows   be   raised.     Men 
and   women   move    to    and    fro,    their   bodies    swaying   backward   and 
forward;  arms  are  seen  waving,  and  with  all  this  comes  the  rhythm  of 
sound — songs,  shouts,  and  preaching.     Inside  the  observer  notices  more 
of  the  individual  performances. 

2  The  nature  of  the  "  trance  "  may  be  indicated  by  the  use  of  extreme 
examples :     During   a   meeting   of   much    fervor,   a  woman   is    smitten 
down    and    suddenly    topples    over    on    the    floor,    apparently    uncon 
scious.     Nothing  the  negroes  do  will  restore  her  and  she  must  bide 
her    time — usually    from    twelve    to    twenty    hours.     Another    woman 


389]  THE  NEGRO  CHURCH  AND  RELIGION  £5 

ways  converted  during  the  church  service;  many  times  the 
"  spirit  comes  upon  them  "  wherever  they  may  be,  at  work 
or  variously  occupied — in  either  case  they  begin  to  shout, 
and  all  who  are  in  hearing  distance  and  who  can  possibly 
get  off  come  running  to  hear  the  "  experience  ".  The 
preachers,  too,  take  prominent  parts  in  such  meetings.  They 
encourage  undue  manifestations  and  go  to  various  extremes ; 
they  often  profess  great  power  and  revelation.1  Sefme  of 
the  preachers  are  sincere  in  their  misinterpretation  of  the 
scriptures ;  many  are  not.  During  these  "  big  meetins'  ' 
services  sometimes  begin  at  daybreak  and  continue  through 
the  day  and  in  the  evening  till  midnight ;  the  same  is  some 
times  true  of  the  church  conventions.  One  who  lives  near 
a  church  in  which  such  meetings  are  being  held  will  often 
wake  up  in  the  morning  at  the  sound  of  the  negroes  singing ; 
and  the  last  sound  which  he  hears  at  night  will  be  the  songs 
of  these  same  singers.  The  meetings  are  well  attended  and 

suddenly  leaped  into  the  air  and  rushed  out  of  the  building;  after 
searching  for  some  time  she  was  found  in  a  ditch  in  a  nearby  grove, 
apparently  unconscious. 

1  Recently  during  one  of  the  great  negro  revivals  in  a  small  town, 
the  report  became  current  that  the  preacher  and  some  who  had  been 
converted  had  received  the  gift  of  tongues  and  could  speak  the  mes 
sage  of  the  spirit  in  many  languages  and  could  commune  directly  with 
God.  This  report  was  generally  believed  by  the  negroes.  Investiga 
tions  brought  out  these  facts  :  The  preacher  would  begin  his  sermon 
as  usual,  but  would  presently  raise  his  eyes  heavenward  and  begin  in 
gutteral  tones  something  like  this :  Lub-dub-a-bub-a-gud-a-lub,  etc. 
This  inspired  great  awe  throughout  the  congregation  and  he  was  draw 
ing  great  numbers.  Further  inquiries  into  the  life  of  the  negro 
preacher  proved  that  his  allies  were  instructed  in  the  business ;  the 
preacher  had  already  amassed  considerable  property  by  his  own 
methods;  he  had  just  built  a  fine  church  in  the  town.  He  received  this 
latest  "  revelation "  in  California  where  he  had  attended  some  meet 
ings.  A  few  years  previous  the  same  negro  had  preached  the  easily 
received  doctrine  that  it  was  no  harm  to  "  pick  up "  anything  one 
wanted,  for  it  was  not  stealing. 


86       SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [390 

here  may  be  seen  many  "  distinguished  "  looking  negroes. 
The  delegates  and  preachers  are  well  dressed  and  talk  and 
walk  with  much  dignity.  As  many  as  can  do  so  speak  at 
the  meetings ;  they  have  at  the  night  services  many  "  big  " 
sermons  preached  by  a  divine  "  who  can  speak  in  seven  lan 
guages  ",  who  has  "  traveled  all  over  the  world  ",  or  who 
is  a  D.  D.  The  communities  show  much  cordiality  to  the 
visitors  and  all  enjoy  life  for  the  week.  The  welcome  ad 
dresses  read  on  these  occasions  are  elaborate,  but  reflect 
much  of  the  negroes'  disposition.1 

The  negroes  flock  in  large  numbers  to  witness  the  pub 
lic  baptizings,  whether  few  or  many  are  to  be  immersed. 
They  prefer  the  stream  or  pond  of  water,  and  use  artificial 
pools  rarely.  They  desire  to  be  baptized  "  like  Christ  was 
baptized  "  after  which  the  "  spirit  comes  upon  "  them.  The 
applicants  for  baptism  are  assembled;  the  preacher  is  ready 
and  leads  the  first  one  into  the  water.  To  one  who  has 
not  witnessed  these  cermonies,  the  question  will  arise  as  to 
why  several  attendants  wade  out  with  the  participants.  One 
is  not  kept  in  doubt  long,  however,  for  as  soon  as  the  can 
didate  has  been  immersed,  he  or  she  begins  to  struggle, 
beating  the  water  right  and  left,  and  four  men  are  kept  busy 
holding  the  newly  inspired  applicant.  It  is  understood  that 
each  one  is  to  have  a  similar  experience,  though  all  are  not 
effected  in  so  extreme  a  manner. 

Any  comment  on  the  religious  views  and  moral  code  of 
the  negroes  must  begin  with  mention  of  the  negro  preacher ; 
he  is  perhaps  responsible  for  much  of  present  conditions. 
The  greatest  need  of  the  church  seems  to  be  for  preachers 
whose  lives  do  not  give  the  lie  to  their  teachings,  and  who 

1  In  a  long  welcome  address  read  by  a  young  negro  woman  were 
these  words :  "  We  welcome  you  to  our  humble  homes,  our  tables,  our 
beds,  and  to  our  cool  shades  and  to  our  watermelons."  And  they  were 
all  welcome. 


THE  NEGRO  CHURCH  AND  RELIGION  g/ 

realize  something  of  the  responsibility  resting  upon  them. 
As  a  rule  the  average  pastor  does  not  begin  to  grasp  the 
situation  nor  recognize  the  crying  needs  of  his  people.  The 
majority  of  negro  preachers  are  superficial  in  their  work  and 
in  their  reports ;  they  suspect  any  attempt  of  the  white  man 
to  assist  them,  and  consequently  they  give  the  most  un 
reasonably  unsatisfactory  responses  to  requests  for  co-oper 
ation.  They  are  unwilling  to  properly  co-operate  with  any 
who  would  study  conditions,  and  their  statements  are  often 
farther  from  the  truth  than  those  made  by  any  other  class 
of  negroes.  This  is  a  hard  saying,  and  it  is  gratifying  to 
note  that  there  are  notable  exceptions  to  the  rule.  Many 
do  not  think  of  their  work  in  any  other  phases  than  the  ma 
terial  ;  if  asked  to  mention  the  most  vital  need  of  the  Church, 
they  answer  in  regard  to  the  various  needs  of  the  building. 
The  pastor  who  answered,  "  Money,  money,  money,  money, 
money,"  was  typical  of  many  who  seem  so  utterly  unable  to 
get  away  from  the  standpoint  of  big  things  that  they  fail  to 
do  the  little  things.  They  will  not  commonly  give  infor 
mation  concerning  the  ordinary  facts  that  are  vital  to 
the  welfare  of  their  church.  Among  the  negroes  there  is 
much  respect  for  all  that  the  minister  says  in  public  and 
private ;  his  actions  are  sanctioned.  He  carries  with  him  a 
sanctity  frequently  ill-deserved  and  ill-won.  His  position 
and  grace  of  manner  give  him  a  complete  entrance  into 
every  home,  and  win  for  him  the  favor  of  the  crowd.  It 
is  a  great  honor  to  that  member  of  his  flock  who  stands  first 
in  his  favor,  and  upon  whom  he  bestows  his  most  graceful 
salutation.  He  strives  to  please  the  people,  and  is  mas 
ter  of  the  art  of  successful  flattery  among  the  negroes.  He 
seldom  cares  for  high  principles  in  his  life.  Many  cases 
of  gross  immorality  among  negro  preachers  have  been  noted, 
which  though  of  the  lowest  and  most  corrupt  nature,  elicit 
no  surprise  among  the  negroes.  For  it  is  not  expected  that 


88       SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO 

the  average  negro  preacher  will  always  be  pure  in  his  life; 
rather  his  position  gives  him  freedom  to  do  as  his  inclination 
dictates.  Open  and  hidden  deception,  the  drinking  of  spirit 
uous  liquors,  illicit  relations  with  members  of  his  congrega 
tion — such  a  state  of  affairs  is  not  unusual.  The  ignorance, 
too,  of  most  negro  preachers  is  appalling;  many  are  with 
out  accurate  knowledge  of  the  simplest  truths  of  the  Bible. 
But  it  may  be  assumed  for  the  time,  that  the  notable  excep 
tions,  of  which  there  are  many,  constitute  the  majority,  and 
that  the  negro  preacher  only  reflects  one  phase  of  the  weak 
ness  of  the  race. 

In  spite  of  pretensions  and  superficiality,  there  is  nothing 
so  real  to  the  negro  as  his  religion,  although  it  is  a  differ 
ent  "  reality  "  from  that  we  commonly  expect  in  religion. 
The  Negro  is  more  excitable  in  his  nature,  and  yields  more 
readily  to  excitement  than  does  the  white  man.  The  more  a 
thing  excites  him,  the  more  reality  it  has  for  him.  So,  too, 
the  quality  of  arousing  emotions,  of  moving  or  exciting 
him,  has  as  much  to  do  with  his  belief  in  a  thing  as  does  the 
quality  of  giving  pleasure.  The  religion  of  the  negroes 
gives  them  much  pleasure  and  satisfaction,  they  also  are 
very  much  aroused  in  their  worship.  Their  belief  in  the 
reality  of  religion  is,  then,  almost  a  natural  acquirement. 
And  although  the  greater  part  of  the  religion  of  the  Negro 
is  pleasurable  excitement,  it  is  nevertheless,  perhaps  on  that 
very  account,  the  reality  of  all  realities  to  him;  his  faith 
comes  in  this  way  rather  than  by  knowledge.  It  is  not  sur 
prising,  then,  that  the  Negro's  religion  is  not  one  of  prac 
tical  application,  and  that  a  scarcity  of  thoughtfulness  and 
will-power  is  everywhere  predominant.  Although  he  has 
a  ready  knowledge  of  right  and  wrong,  the  Negro  does  not 
do  the  right  nor  condemn  those  who  do  the  wrong.  The 
attitude  of  both  races  tends  to  take  it  for  granted  that  all 
negroes  may  be  morally  unaccountable.  The  question  of 


393]  THE  NEGRO  CHURCH  AND  RELIGION  gg 

morality  does  not  enter  into  the  consideration  of  employers, 
even  those  that  hire  all  kinds  of  domestic  servants ;  they  have 
little  knowledge  of  the  lives  of  these  people  and  put  forth 
little  effort  to  make  them  better.  So,  too,  among  the  ne 
groes  there  is  no  social  ostracism  for  those  who  are  habitu 
ally  guilty  of  gross  wrongs.  There  is,  generally  speaking, 
no  deep  conscience  in  the  race.  The  criminal  instinct  ap 
pears  to  overbalance  any  consciousness  which  makes  for 
righteousness  and  the  Negro  has  little  serene  consciousness 
of  a  clean  record ;  he  is  ready  to  "  run  "  at  any  surprising 
or  suspicious  turn  of  affairs.  The  Negro  does  not  value 
his  word  or  honor;  he  apparently  can  not  always  tell  the 
truth.  Only  about  one  in  every  ten  will  keep  an  important 
engagement  made  in  seriousness.  Honesty  appeals  to  the 
ordinary  negro  as  the  best  policy,  but  his  interpretation  of 
honesty  and  policy  is  that  which  permits  his  natural  self  to 
fittingly  appropriate  things  not  his  own. 

The  Negro's  conception  of  heaven  and  hell,  God  and  the 
devil  are  very  distinct.1  Heaven  is  an  eternal  resting-place 
where  he  shall  occupy  the  best  place.  He  sings  of  his 
heavenly  home  in  striking  contrast  to  his  earthly  abode. 
Perhaps  for  the  very  reason  that  the  negroes  have  little 
satisfactory  home  life,  they  expect  to  have  a  perfect  home 
in  the  next  life.  The  Negro  wants  that  which  is  ideal  and 
perfect  but  he  is  unwilling  to  put  forth  efforts  to  receive  it. 
In  slavery  days  it  was  perhaps  natural  that  he  should  look 
to  Heaven  for  his  home.  The  same  ideas  intensified  by 
the  Negro's  emotions  and  self-pity  still  predominate.  He 
expects  to  be  with  the  angels  and  to  talk  and  associate  with 
God  and  Jesus.  There  are  many  means  of  getting  to 
Heaven,  and  the  Negro's  fancies  of  "Heaven's  bright  home" 
are  scarcely  exceeded  by  any  fairy  tales.  There  are  silver 

1  Op.  cit.,  passim. 


90       SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [394 

and  golden  slippers,  crowns  of  stars,  jewels  and  belts  of 
gold.  There  are  robes  of  spotless  white  and  wings  all  be- 
jeweled  with  heavenly  gems.  Beyond  the  Jordan  the  Negro 
will  outshine  the  sun,  moon  and  stars.  He  will  slip  and 
slide  the  golden  streets  and  eat  the  fruit  of  the  trees  of 
paradise.  Not  only  is  this  home  to  be  a  happy  one,  but  it 
is  to  "be  exclusive;  only  the  most  fortunate,  of  whom  he  is 
chiefest,  will  go  there.  With  rest  and  ease,  with  a  golden 
band  about  him  and  with  palms  of  victory  in  his  hands  and 
beautiful  robes,  the  Negro  will  be  indeed  a  happy  being. 

Hell  is  a  place  for  thieves,  sinners,  drunkards  and  liars, 
but  such  persons  are  far  removed  from  the  negro  individual. 
The  Negro  does  not  dwell  upon  thoughts  of  hell  as  he  does 
of  heaven.  It  is  a  place  of  torment  and  fire,  it  is  deep  and 
wide.  It  is  the  place  where  sinners  go.  But  the  negroes 
make  much  of  the  day  when  God  shall  come  to  "  wake  up 
the  dead  who's  a  sleepin'  in  the  grave."  The  day  of  judg 
ment  is  a  terrible  day,  and  may  mean  everything  that  could 
happen  of  death  and  terror  at  the  end  of  the  world.  But 
it  is  also  the  destruction  of  the  sinner  and  the  glory  of  the 
righteous.  The  gruesome  awe  and  terror  which  the  Negro 
pictures  together  with  the  assurance  that  the  saved  shall 
come  into  their  own,  make  the  judgment  scenes  especially 
attractive  to  the  Negro.  Nor  does  he  hesitate  to  affirm  that 
the  righteous  in  heaven  will  shout  amen  to  the  sinner's  dam 
nation.  The  sinner  in  hell  will  see  his  friends  in  heaven. 
While  the  negroes  speak  of  the  "  po'  sinner  "  and  while  they 
exhort  to  salvation,  there  is  little  human  sympathy  felt  in 
the  portrayal  of  the  eternal  punishment  which  the  damned 
will  receive;  rather  it  is  the  glory  of  the  righteous. 

The  devil  is  the  constant  terror  and  proverbial  enemy  of 
the  Negro.  He  is  alive,  alert  and  concrete.  He  represents 
the  demon  trickster  incarnate  in  man.  He  is  the  opposite 
of  God  but  much  less  powerful.  He  is  the  enemy  against 


395]  THE  NEGRO  CHURCH  AND  RELIGION  ^ 

whom  a  personal  battle  is  always  on.  The  devil  meets  the 
pilgrim  at  every  turn  of  the  road,  but  somehow  he  is  usually 
outwitted.  Satan  howls  when  defeated.  He  throws  rocks 
in  the  way  of  Christians,  wears  an  iron  shoe  and  is  a  busy 
old  man.  He  throws  a  ball  at  the  sinner,  gets  in  a  rage 
when  he  misses  him,  he  rides  iron  gray  horses.  Satan  is 
also  a  consummate  liar.  It  is  with  such  pictures  as  these  that 
the  negro  sinner  is  warned,  doomed  and  damnedy  Such 
warnings  have  little  practical  bearing  upon  the  permanent 
thoughts  of  the  negroes  in  relation  to  conduct,  and  it  is  al 
ways  offset  by  the  better  pictures  of  heaven  and  God. 

On  the  other  hand,  "  King  Jesus  "  is  the  bosom  friend  of 
the  Negro.  He  comes  in  to  intercept  Satan  and  save  the 
sinner-man  from  hell.  He  works  wonders  and  miracles, 
takes  the  sinner's  sins  away,  rides  and  flies,  and  comes  to 
wake  up  the  dead.  He  may  be  found  in  the  wilderness,  on 
the  hillside  and  in  the  valley,  or  "  setthr  in  de  kingdom  ". 
He  buys  the  negro's  liberty,  plucks  his  feet  from  the  miry 
clay,  and  raises  man  from  the  grave.  He  wears  a  snow- 
white  robe  and  rides  a  milk-white  horse.  The  negroes  sym 
pathize  much  with  the  Christ  of  the  crucifixion.  God  is 
often  synonymous  with  Jesus.  He  is  King  Jehovah  and 
walks  the  heavenly  road  with  fire  and  sword  breathing  from 
his  mouth.  The  Lord  listens  all  day  long,  He  unlocks  the 
prison  door,  He  comforts  sinners,  He  sits  in  Heaven  and  an 
swers  prayers,  and  He  rides  all  the  time  in  his  chariot.  The 
negro  and  God  will  walk  and  talk  in  the  heavenly  land. 

To  find  a  happy  home,  to  see  all  the  loved  ones  and  es 
pecially  the  biblical  characters,  to  see  Jesus  and  the  angels, 
to  walk  and  talk  with  them,  to  wear  robes  and  slippers  as 
they  do,  and  to  rest  forever  constitute  the  chief  images  of 
the  Negro's  heaven.  He  is  tired  of  the  world  which  has 
been  a  hell  to  him.  Now  on  his  knees,  now  shouting,  now 
sorrowful  and  now  glad,  the  Negro  comes  from  "  hanging 


92        SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [396 

over  hell  "  to  die  and  "  set  by  de  Fadder's  side  ".  In  this 
life  he  will  weep  all  he  can  for  his  Lord,  do  what  he  can  and 
fight  the  battle  in  the  struggle  of  life,  in  which  he  has  a 
"  hard  time  ".  A  sense  of  sin  and  guilt  is  ever  present 
in  the  struggle  between  himself  and  some  imaginary.  But 
this  sense  of  guilt  is  less  practical  than  it  is  an  expression 
of  emotion.  In  all  phases  of  the  Negro's  religious  beliefs 
the  emotional  and  imaginative  transcend  the  practical  appli 
cation.  His  religion  is  essentially  dependent  upon  feeling 
and  the  stress  is  placed  upon  the  supernatural  that  lies  be 
yond  his  present  sphere.  A  religious  attitude  is  scarcely 
conceived  by  the  Negro  aside  from  the  fundamental  con 
ception  of  the  next  world.  Thus  it  is  that  this  life  is  con 
trasted  with  the  next,  the  sinner  contrasted  with  the  right 
eous  and  the  devil  contrasted  with  God.  The  Negro  is  not 
to  be  censured,  therefore,  because  the  moral  and  ethical  in 
his  religion  does  not  exert  so  strong  an  influence  as  it 
should;  such  is  inevitable  with  a  religion  of  this  kind  and 
among  a  people  of  the  Negro's  habits  and  temperament. 
He  is  no  weaker  in  his  religion  than  elsewhere;  perhaps 
he  is  no  stronger.  It  may  be  possible,  however,  to  turn  his 
religious  nature  into  channels  which  will  assist  in  leading 
him  to  a  proper  development  of  his  better  qualities. 

The  casual  observer  does  not  realize  the  conditions  which 
obtain  among  the  negroes  in  their  worship,  because  he  does 
not  see  them.  To  know  real  conditions  one  must  work  with 
these  people  in  their  churches  or  see  them  week  after  week 
as  they  gather  to  worship.  Then  some  of  the  difficulties 
which  must  be  overcome  may  be  seen.  The  testimony  of 
those  who  have  thus  made  careful  observation  is  expert. 
The  most  thorough  and  effective  organized  church  work  of 
this  kind  done  by  the  whites  among  the  negroes  is  that  done 
in  the  Sunday-schools.  Many  well-organized  schools  have 
been  conducted  by  white  leaders  and  teachers  among  the 


THE  NEGRO  CHURCH  AND  RELIGION  93 

negroes  of  smaller  communities.  The  best  organized  and 
most  systematic  work  of  this  kind  has  been  under  the 
auspices  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  the  United  States. 
The  results  of  schools  thus  conducted  for  several  years  in 
towns  in  Texas,  Louisiana,  Mississippi,  Alabama,  Georgia, 
Florida,  Tennessee,  North  Carolina,  South  Carolina,  and 
Kentucky  are  here  given  in  a  general  way.1  The  list  of 
white  leaders  in  the  schools  includes  prominent  lawyers, 
professors,  teachers,  preachers,  physicians,  and  business 
men,  while  many  private  workers  of  the  highest  intellectual 
attainment  have  not  only  put  their  best  efforts  into  the  work 
but  have  also  given  liberally  of  their  means.  The  spirit 
of  the  work  is  missionary ;  the  methods  "  are  governed  by 
plain  Southern  principles  ".  There  are  now  in  operation  a 
smaller  number  of  such  schools  than  a  few  years  ago. 

On  the  part  of  the  white  people  at  large,  there  has  been 
some  opposition  to  the  work,  and  a  general  lack  of  faith  in 
the  outcome.  There  was  no  co-operation  on  the  part  of  the 
negro  churches,  but  they  rather  looked  upon  the  movement 
with  some  suspicion  and  jealousy.  There  was  little  disposi 
tion  on  the  part  of  the  parents  to  send  their  children  to  the 
schools;  a  few  individuals  approved  of  the  work.  The  en 
rollment  was  small  at  the  beginning  but  increased  to  larger 
numbers,  while  the  average  attendance  remained  the  same, 
generally  speaking,  after  the  school  was  fully  organized. 
The  attendance  was  always  uncertain;  in  good  weather  in 
summer  the  attendance  was  likely  to  be  small;  and  always 

1  The  total  number  of  Sunday  Schools  thus  organized  by  the  Pres 
byterian  Church  is  twenty-eight;  they  enrolled  1,965  pupils  and  there 
were  one  hundred  and  ninety-two  teachers.  The  number  from  which 
reports  were  made  included  fourteen  schools.  The  reports  were  much 
more  extensive  than  is  here  indicated;  the  general  summary  is  made 
from  the  combined  reports.  I  am  indebted  to  iRev.  W.  D.  Hedleston, 
of  Oxford,  Mississippi,  for  assistance  in  obtaining  data  for  this  report. 


94       SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [398 

when  there  were  protracted  meetings,  lodge  meetings, 
basket  dinners,  funerals  and  other  similar  attractions  in  the 
neighborhood,  a  small  attendance  might  be  expected.  In 
cases  where  the  enrollment  is  small  it  often  occurs  that  there 
will  be  no  pupils  present,  while  the  next  Sunday  will  wit 
ness  the  largest  attendance  for  weeks.  In  the  management 
of  such  schools  few  offices  have  been  given  to  negroes,  and 
collections  were  rarely  taken.  The  attitude  of  those  teach 
ers  who  have  taught  faithfully  for  a  number  of  years  has 
not  changed  materially.  Some  have  felt  the  hopelessness 
of  the  situation  so  far  as  visible  results  go ;  some  have  been 
much  encouraged ;  all  have  been  astounded  at  the  prevailing 
ignorance  with  which  they  have  to  contend.  The  courses 
taught  in  the  schools  are  made  up  from  the  catechisms  and 
the  Scriptures.  The  children  are  quick  to  memorize  their 
lessons  and  appear  to  enjoy  the  Sunday-school.  Many  of 
them  learn  passages  of  scripture  and  the  catechism  easier 
than  white  children  of  the  same  age,  while  some  are  too 
dense  of  mind  to  learn  at  all.  The  brighter  ones  not  only 
memorize  well,  but  retain  for  some  length  of  time  what  they 
have  learned.  The  children  love  all  music  alike  and  appear 
to  show  no  special  favorites  in  the  selection  of  their  songs. 
Curious  interest,  habit,  and  "  just  to  be  together  "  seem  to 
be  motives  for  prompting  attendance.  Years  of  patient 
work  show  no  visible  results  in  the  schools,  though  there 
is  apparent  improvement  on  the  part  of  individual  pupils. 
No  change  in  the  religious  condition  or  improvement  in  the 
moral  status  can  be  traced  to  this  source,  and  there  is  little 
visible  effect  upon  the  colored  churches  of  the  town.  The 
negroes  show  no  gratitude  for  the  work  done  in  their  behalf, 
but  think  they  are  doing  the  workers  a  favor  if  they  attend 
the  school  at  all.  They  do,  however,  have  respect  for  the 
leaders  and  their  work.  If  the  school  should  be  closed  in 
each  community,  there  would  perhaps  be  no  effort  on  the 


399]  THE  NEGRO  CHURCH  AND  RELIGION  95 

part  of  the  negroes  to  get  it  back.  In  the  classes  composed 
of  older  men,  there  is,  however,  often  real  interest  mani 
fested  from  Sunday  to  Sunday.  The  personality  of  the 
teachers  has  much  to  do  with  the  work  in  general. 

These  are  discouraging  facts ;  but  perhaps  further  par 
ticulars  of  existing  conditions,  as  brought  out  in  these  re 
ports,  will  serve  to  explain  them.  The  negroes  are  ignor 
ant  of  the  Bible  and  its  teachings;  they  do  not  know  ya  prac 
tical  life  of  the  moral  law,  but  have  a  vague  idea  that  it 
applies  only  to  "  white  folks  ".  They  reflect  no  home  train 
ing  and  must  follow  their  inclinations  in  the  crowd.  Hence 
any  kind  of  serious  appeal  is  by  nature  subservient  to  pleas 
ure,  and  must  overcome  a  rooted  love  of  pleasurable  sen 
sations.  They  have  apparently  no  motive  for  living;  stylish 
white  people  are  the  ideals  to  which  many  look  and  their 
ideas  of  "  stylish  "  are  rather  vague.  Some  would  do  right, 
but  are  kept  in  doubt  by  the  conduct  of  their  own  pastors, 
and  by  seeing  devout  ones  daily  practicing  the  most  disgust 
ing  sins.  Their  ideas  necessarily  become  a  confused  mass  of 
instability.  Both  old  and  young  seem  almost  irresistibly 
drawn  to  the  various  gatherings  which  benefit  them  in  no 
particular,  leaving  those  who  would  teach  them  better  things. 
Few  realize  how  great  are  the  obstacles  in  the  way  of  such 
work  for  the  negroes.  But  it  should  be  not  forgotten  that 
there  are  exceptions  to  the  generalizations  above  outlined. 
In  a  few  instances  the  white  workers  have  found  gratifying 
results ;  they  have  found  co-operation  and  earnestness.  The 
pupils  seem  to  have  attended  only  for  the  real  good  they  get. 
The  workers  have  found  gratitude,  appreciation  of  the  work, 
and  improvement  in  numbers  of  those  who  have  attended. 
None  of  the  white  workers  have  regretted  the  work  done 
among  the  negroes. 

Besides  the  Sunday  schools  mentioned,  there  are  sixty- 
four  colored  Presbyterian  churches  under  the  general  super- 


0,6       SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [400 

vision  of  the  white  church.  They  have  a  membership  of 
2046  and  there  are  1828  Sunday-school  pupils,  with  two 
hundred  and  twenty-three  officers  and  teachers.1  The  col 
ored  churches  pay  a  total  pastor's  salary  of  only  $1511.00 
and  congregational  dues  to  the  amount  of  $2395.00.  Fifty- 
three  colored  pastors  serve  these  sixty-four  churches.  The 
work  grows  slowly;  during  the  last  year  the  churches  re 
ceived  a  membership  of  only  one  hundred  and  twelve  by  pro 
fession  of  faith  and  twenty-six  by  letter.  Thirty  of  the 
sixty-four  received  no  additions  by  profession,  and  twenty- 
four  received  no  additional  members.  Rev.  J.  G.  Snedecor 
says  in  his  report :  "  It  is  possible,  however,  that  too  much  is 
expected  of  these  men.  Few  of  us  realize  how  fearful  are 
the  obstacles  which  confront  these  faithful  men  when  they 
seek  to  raise  the  standard  of  church  membership  and  home 
life.  Their  work,  like  that  of  the  foreign  missionary,  can 
not  always  be  fairly  estimated  from  statistics." 

Other  denominations  are  showing  an  active  interest  in  the 
work  of  the  negro  churches.  A  number  of  workers  have 
undertaken  to  assist  the  negroes  in  various  ways.  In  many 
towns  preachers  of  the  various  white  churches  are  disposed 
to  preach  to  negro  congregations  in  negro  churches.  The 
negroes  in  turn  welcome  them  and  receive  their  messages 
with  good  attendance  and  respectful  attention.  They  in 
vite  frank  criticism  given  in  the  proper  spirit.  They  feel 
an  unusual  amount  of  encouragement  and  fellowship  when 
assisted  properly  by  the  whites.  Many  negroes  have  ex 
pressed  the  wish  that  relations  between  the  colored  and 
white  churches  could  be  more  practical,  expressing  the  be 
lief,  too,  that  such  an  interest  on  the  part  of  the  whites  would 

1  See  Fifteenth  Annual  Report  of  the  Executive  Committee  of 
Colored  Evangelization.  Rev.  J.  G.  Snedecor  of  Tuscaloosa,  Alabama 
edits  these  reports  and  is  general  secretary  of  the  Conference  on 
Colored  Evangelization. 


40i]  THE  NEGRO  CHURCH  AND  RELIGION  07 

be  extremely  beneficial  to  the  negroes.  Likewise  many  of 
the  whites  manifest  a  growing  interest  in  the  negro  churches. 
It  is  difficult  to  see  why  such  an  interest  and  assistance 
would  not  be  helpful.  While  it  is  true  that  the  Negro  must 
work  out  much  of  his  own  salvation,  it  is  nevertheless  ex 
pedient  that  he  have  as  much  direction  as  possible.  And 
there  is  a  large  field  for  church  workers  and  a  large  measure 
of  responsibility  upon  the  white  churches  if  they  are  to  take 
advantage  of  the  opportunities  before  them.  The  results 
will  be  slow  and  the  obstacles  are  many,  but  the  best  in 
formed  leaders  among  the  whites  express  the  belief  and 
hope  that  much  good  can  be  accomplished  through  co-oper 
ation  with  the  negro  churches. 


CHAPTER  III 
FRATERNAL  ORGANIZATIONS  AND  BENEVOLENT  SOCIETIES 

PERHAPS  no  phase  of  negro  life  is  so  characteristic  of  the 
race  and  has  developed  so  rapidly  as  that  which  centers 
around  the  secret  societies  and  fraternal  orders.  In  the 
chapter  which  follows  the  effort  is  made  to  present  a  general 
view  rather  than  exhaustive  details,  many  of  which  it  is  not 
possible  to  obtain.  The  facts  here  presented  are  repre 
sentative  and  typical;  they  combine  the  essentials  that  are 
embodied  in  the  fraternal  organization  as  a  social  factor 
among  the  negroes,  and  indicate  the  position  it  holds  in  the 
Negro's  estimation.  This  phase  of  negro  life  has  grown 
to  such  an  extent  that  in  any  study  of  the  negro  community 
it  must  be  ranked  as  an  influence  with  the  home,  the  school, 
and  the  church.  Indeed  it  has  become  an  institution  and 
at  times  is  ranked  by  the  negroes  above  the  other  institu 
tions,  in  part  combining  these  with  business  and  personal 
interests.  The  business  of  the  fraternal  orders  is  ranked 
along  with  the  trades  and  commercial  interests;  they  are 
given  a  prominent  place  on  the  program  of  the  business 
leagues.  The  success  of  such  organizations  is  rated  with 
pride  as  a  distinct  business  achievement.  Church  members 
often  leave  the  church  for  the  lodge ;  business  hours  are  ar 
ranged  to  meet  its  demands,  and  school  is  dismissed  that  the 
children  may  attend  the  meeting  of  the  juveniles.  The 
Negro  esteems  a  prominent  official  place  in  his  lodge  a 
greater  honor  than  a  position  of  trust  in  his  work.  Man 
aged  by  members  of  his  own  race,  the  lodge  offers  the 
98  [402 


403]  ORGANIZATIONS  AND  SOCIETIES  gg 

Negro  a  place  wherein  to  indentify  his  interests  with  those 
of  his  own  people;  even  more  than  the  church,  it  is  an  in 
stitution  that  appeals  to  him  as  his  own.  It  thus  satisfies 
a  natural  social  want. 

The  growth  of  fraternal  and  benevolent  societies  among 
the  negroes  has  been  phenomenal.  Since  they  became  free 
the  negroes  have  turned  naturally  to  numerous  organiza 
tions  among  themselves.  It  is  often  stated  that  prior  to 
1890  there  were  more  benevolent  societies  than  at  the  pres 
ent  time;  it  is  perhaps  true  that  a  greater  total  number  of 
local  organizations  might  have  existed,  but  the  secret  so 
cieties,  carrying  benefits  and  insurance,  managed  entirely  by 
negroes  have  mostly  arisen  within  the  last  twenty  years. 
Form  and  ritual  have  increased  with  an  accompanying  pride 
in  their  functions.  Such  societies  prosper  alike  in  town  and 
country  and  city,  and  when  once  organized  they  immediately 
become  a  vital  part  of  the  community  life,  often  its  center. 
Scores  of  different  orders  are  represented  in  Southern 
towns,  with  hundreds  of  local  chapters.  A  special  feature 
of  the  colored  organizations  is  found  in  the  local  character 
of  their  orders.  The  majority  have  their  home  offices  in  the 
state  in  which  they  do  business.  Few  extend  over  much 
greater  territory.  Hence  a  comprehensive  view  of  the  fra 
ternal  organizations  of  a  state  is  essential  to  an  adequate 
conception  of  the  workings  of  the  negro  orders.  At  the 
same  time,  such  a  view  gives  an  insight  into  both  the  general 
and  particular  facts  obtaining.  Mississippi  is  perhaps  the 
most  typical  state  and  combines  a  large  membership  with 
enthusiastic  workers  and  the  societies  have  been  well  or 
ganized.  The  status  of  the  Negro's  societies  in  this  state 
will  be  given  therefore,  before  going  into  details  of  their 
operation.  Out  of  thirty-four  organizations  licensed  to  do 
business  among  the  negroes  of  Mississippi,  only  four  do 
not  operate  from  some  central  home  office  within  the  state. 


I0o     SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [404 

These  organizations  are  not  identified  with  those  of  other 
states,  except  in  the  case  of  a  few  prominent  orders,  which 
practically  become  local  in  their  nature,  as  local  branches 
of  the  larger  order.  Of  twenty-two  similar  organizations 
among  the  whites  of  Mississippi,  only  two  operate  from  a 
home  office  within  the  state.  The  majority  of  colored  or 
ganizations  have  been  organized  since  1902  and  others  are 
being  successfully  organized  each  year,  while  efforts  are  made 
for  still  others  that  are  less  successful.  In  1904  five  were 
licensed  to  do  business  in  Mississippi;  in  1905  fourteen  were 
licensed  and  three  ceased  operations.  Those  recently  or 
ganized  have  prospered  and  have  an  aggregate  of  upward 
of  eight  thousand  members.  This  means  that  new  chapters 
are  being  placed  in  many  new  towns.  The  financial  report 
of  the  fraternal  organizations  among  the  negroes  of  Mis 
sissippi  for  1906  follows. 


BENEVOLENT    SOCIETIES 


Name  of  Organization 

Certificates 

Assessments 
and  Dues 
Collected 

Issued 

Ceased 

In  force 

American  Woodmen  . 

24 
30 

1,021 

3,066 
1,958 

220 

2,050 

1,637 
2O 

13 
246 

404 
130 
158 
256 
358 
278 

18 
26 

4,705 

58 
118 

696 
11,326 
i,  800 
664 
7,i97 
3,94i 
295 

7i 
5,620 

$363.90 

7I9.65 

2,081.19 
71,741.85 
14,428.00 
780.25 
50,597.28 
11,969.12 
368.75 

246.75 
55,427.71 

Benevolent  Association  of  Miss 
issippi 

Benevolent  Industrial  Association 
of  Alabama 

Colored  Knights  of  Pythias 

Colored  Woodmen  of  Alabama.  .  . 
Earnest  Workers  Laborers'  Union. 
Eastern  Star  Benefit  Association. 
Grand  Court  of  Calanthe  

Grand  United  Benevolent  Order. 
Independent     Order     Sons    and 
Daughters  of  Charity  

Independent     Order     Sons    and 
Daughters  of  Jacob  

2,763 

405]  ORGANIZATIONS  AND  SOCIETIES 

BENEVOLENT    SOCIETIES— Concluded. 


101 


Name  of  Organization 

Certificates 

Assessments 
and  Dues 
Collected 

Issued 

Ceased 

In  force 

Independent  Sons  and  Daughters 
of  Charity,  U.  S.  A. 

250 
80 

770 
1,259 

1,519 

2,410 
187 

633 
437 

282 

4,000 
303 

12 

1  66 
276 

462 
i,39i 
2,175 

15 

841 

5i 

10 

3,454 
80 

3,374 
1,283 

6,155 

684 
192 
10,655 
187 

380 
320 

1,380 

11,110 
302 

406 

1,245 

1,262 
1,500 
3,512 

100 

737 
no 

^,727.00 

94-45 

16,720.00 
3,799-34 

14,820.78 

25,563.70 
240.15 
105,502.15 
112.50 

3,646.00 
4,4i6.94 

10,764.75 

129,385.06 
652.71 

o  447-25 
8,489.75 

9,370.23 
7,412.14 
21,865.16 

650.70 
i,955.6o 
258.87 

Industrial  Mutual  Relief  Associa 
tion  

Knights  and  Daughters  of  Tabor 
of  Mound  Bayou  

62 
505 

683 

300 

623 
697 

Knights  of  Canaan  

Knights  and  Knights  and  Ladies 
of  Honor  of  World  

Knights  and  Ladies  of  the  Temple 
of  America 

Lone  Star  of  Race  Pride 

Masonic  Benefit  Association  

Mississippi  Benevolent  Society  .  . 
Mississippi     Benevolent     Mutual 
Aid  Association 

253 
330 

18 

1,790 
i 

3 
190 
262 

fsi 

930 

25 
104 

2 

Modern  Workmen  of  Alexandria. 
Mutual       Benefit       Association, 
United  Brothers  of  Friendship, 
and  Sisters  of  Mysterious  Ten.  . 
Odd  Fellows  Benefit  Association, 
G.  U.  O.of  O.  F  

Old  Dominion  Protective  Ass'n  . 
Royal  Benefit  Society  

State  Golden  Rule  Societies  
Supreme  Lodge  Financial  Union. 
United    Brothers  and    Sisters  of 
Benevolence  of  America 

United  Reformers 

United  Woodmen  Benefit  Ass'n  . 
Universal     Brotherhood,     Silver 
Key  Commandery  No.  I. 

Woodmen  of  Union  of  Nachez... 
Mosaic  Templars  of  America  

Total  

31,505 

14,273 

80,223 

$552,601.88 

The  total  amount  of  losses  incurred  in  1906  by  the  colored 
societies  in  Mississippi  was  $454,880.34,  and  the  total  paid 
was  $430,719.06,  which  amount  was  paid  out  of  $552,- 


102     SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [406 

601.88  collected  in  assessments  and  dues.  The  remaining 
losses  were  paid  later  or  refused  according  to  the  merits  of 
the  cases ;  but  in  most  cases  they  are  always  paid.  The  total 
amount  of  insurance  carried  by  the  colored  insurance  or 
ganizations  in  December  of  1906  was  over  thirty  million  dol 
lars.  -  With  the  31,505  certificates  issued  among  the  negroes 
in  1906,  compare  the  13,515  members  which  were  added 
to  the  organizations  of  the  whites  during  the  same  year; 
and  with  the  80,223  certificates  of  the  negroes  carrying 
thirty  million  dollars  of  insurance,  compare  the  total  num 
ber  of  certificates  in  force  among  the  whites,  44,595,  carry 
ing  insurance  to  the  amount  of  $64,992,784.00.  The  com 
parisons  show  the  relative  amounts  and  values  of  certificates. 
The  total  membership  of  the  negroes  is  double  that  of  the 
whites ;  the  amount  of  insurance  is  less  than  half.  Among 
the  colored  organizations,  the  losses  paid  in  1906  exceeded 
those  paid  in  1905  by  $79,832.44.  and  the  assessments  and 
dues  collected  exceeded  those  of  the  previous  year  by  $153,- 
079.61.  With  the  whites  the  losses  paid  in  1906  were 
$35,340.44  less  than  in  the  former  year.  For  the  negroes 
the  average  annual  assessment  and  dues  collected  was  $6.75 
for  each  member,  while  for  the  whites  the  average  was 
$21.00.  The  lowest  assessment  among  the  societies  of  the 
negroes  is  fifty  cents  annually  for  each  member,  while  the 
highest  average  for  any  negro  society  is  about  fourteen 
dollars.  Five  of  the  colored  organizations  did  not  increase 
their  membership  during  the  year  and  had  a  greater  num 
ber  of  certificates  cease  than  were  issued  during  the  year. 
These  figures  are  given  from  the  official  report  of  the  in 
surance  commissioner  of  Mississippi.  Careful  inquiry  and 
compilation  of  data  obtained  from  the  individual  societies, 
and  checking  of  results,  show  some  inaccuracies,  but  no  re 
sults  could  be  obtained  so  satisfactory  from  every  stand 
point  as  those  given.  The  total  membership  of  the  negro 


407]  ORGANIZATIONS  AND  SOCIETIES  IO3 

societies,  paying  and  non-paying,  is  nearly  equal  to  the  total 
church  membership,  while  in  many  communities  the  total 
membership  of  the  societies  is  more  than  double  that  of  the 
churches.  The  fraternal  organizations  in  Mississippi  oper 
ate  from  headquarters  in  eighteen  towns  in  the  state,  having 
a  population  ranging  from  one  thousand  to  thirty  thousand. 
Vicksburg  is  the  home  office  for  six  societies;  Greenville 
has  four.  ^ 

In  addition  to  the  activities  of  their  insurance  and  social 
life,  the  societies  of  the  negroes  in  Mississippi  support  ten 
newspapers  published  in  the  state.  The  official  organs  of 
their  respective  societies  are :  The  Benevolent  Banner,  The 
Jacob  Watchman,  The  Mississippi  Odd  Fellow,  The  Blade, 
The  Taborian  Leader,  The  Southern  Forum,  The  New 
Light,  The  Calanthian  Journal,  The  Signal  American  Grand 
Reporter,  and  The  Financial  Union  Journal.  These  papers 
issue  the  official  information,  notices,  orders  and  news  of  the 
organizations  which  they  represent.  They  often  issue  a 
roster  of  their  subordinate  lodges  with  the  principal  officers 
and  location.  Special  news  and  reports  are  given  promi 
nent  places.  Local  news  of  the  town  in  which  the  paper  is 
published  is  also  given  a  prominent  place  in  the  social  items. 
Special  articles  and  editorials  with  comments  and  letters 
complete  the  news  of  the  publisher.  The  greater  part  of  the 
paper,  however,  is  furnished  with  the  patent  sheet;  some 
times  only  a  half  dozen  columns  of  local  matter  is  given, 
while  in  a  few  cases  the  whole  of  the  publisher's  news  occu 
pied  less  than  four  columns.  For  the  most  part,  the  mat 
ter  published  is  of  a  wholesome  nature.  Enthusiasm  can 
be  felt  through  it  all  and  the  Negro's  interests  are  well 
looked  after.  Good,  wholesome  advice  is  often  given,  and 
opinions  exchanged.  The  managers  offer  attractive  terms 
to  agents  for  their  papers  and  solicit  job  work  from  their 
constituency.  They  support  the  interests  of  their  societies, 


I04     SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [4Og 

which  in  most  cases  are  identical  with  their  own  private  in 
terests.  They  lend  their  influence  to  the  support  of  such 
educational  institutions  as  are  encouraged  by  the  fraternal 
societies.  On  the  whole  they  are  a  very  positive  influence 
and  add  much  to  the  Negro's  self-interest  and  pride. 

Investigations  show  that  other  societies  are  in  operation 
in  Mississippi  besides  those  chartered  and  recorded  on  the 
official  lists.  Some  of  these  operate  under  secret  rules  and 
assess  members  according  to  their  own  agreement.  The 
total  number  of  such  organizations,  including  the  many 
little  ephemeral  societies  operated  wherever  groups  of  ne 
groes  are  found,  would  run  into  the  hundreds.  Sometimes 
they  continue  for  a  year,  sometimes  only  for  one  or  two 
meetings.  The  passing  of  one  makes  room  for  the  coming 
of  another  and  their  variety  is  measured  only  by  the  Negro's 
love  of  devising  means  and  methods  of  social  life,  with 
leadership  and  entertainment  in  the  foreground.  Among 
such  societies  are  numerous  church  and  charity  organiza 
tions,  women's  societies  and  literary  clubs,  debating  socie 
ties  and  the  like.  There  are,  however,  a  few  more  promi 
nent  organizations  that  have  more  than  a  local  field,  that 
are  not  included  in  the  official  list.  Among  them  the  most 
prominent  are  the  Evening  Star  Benevolent  Association, 
Victoria  Star,  Zion  Aid  Association,  Wide-awake  Benevo- 
lents,  Mutual  Aid,  Home  Benevolents,  Sons  and  Daugh 
ters  of  Gideon,  besides  branches  of  the  larger  orders  and 
imitations  of  a  local  nature,  growing  to  a  large  degree  out 
of  the  older  orders.  A  study  of  the  names  of  the  societies 
already  given  will  reveal  much  of  their  nature  as  well  as  the 
Negro's  methods  of  naming  them.  They  pay  burial  ex 
penses,  sick  benefits,  and  small  amounts  to  beneficiaries  of 
deceased  members.  Such  amounts  in  many  cases  are  de 
termined  entirely  by  the  number  of  members,  the  assess 
ment  plan  being  the  most  common  and  most  practical  one. 


409]  ORGANIZATIONS  AND  SOCIETIES 

Members  are  admitted  variously  according  to  a  flexible 
constitution  made  to  meet  the  demands  of  the  largest  number 
of  people.  There  are  non-paying  members  who  receive 
only  the  advantages  coming  from  the  fraternal  society; 
there  are  those  who  take  insurance  for  sick  benefits  only, 
while  others  wish  burial  expenses  also.  Still  others  take 
life  insurance,  while  some  combine  all  benefits,  thu^  paying 
the  larger  assessments  and  dues. 

The  subordinate  lodges  are  organized  throughout  the 
territory  wherever  opportunity  is  favorable.  Either  an 
agent  perfects  the  local  society  or  a  local  person  is  au 
thorized  to  organize.  There  is  much  freedom  in  their 
operation.  The  subordinate  societies  are  called  variously 
lodges,  fountains,  unions,  tents,  tabernacles,  camps,  cabins, 
households,  councils,  meets  and  so  on,  according  to  the 
head  organization.  The  usual  officers  are  appointed,  with 
slightly  more  naming  and  titles  than  the  whites,  and  with 
a  full  quota  of  officers  to  be  elected.  The  local  subor 
dinate  lodge  is  then  named  according  to  the  pleasure  of 
the  members.  The  naming  of  the  lodges  indicates  much 
of  the  Negro's  nature  and  pride  as  it  is  revealed  in  his 
newly  acquired  social  institution.  An  inquiry  was  made 
into  the  particular  reasons  for  special  names  given  local 
organizations,  but  not  a  single  answer  was  found  to  be 
reliable.  In  general  the  names  are  given  at  random,  at  the 
suggestion  of  a  leader.  They  are  often  selected  with  gen 
eral  satisfaction  because  of  a  good  sounding  name  or  for 
special  local  associations.  A  great  many  are  named  for 
places  in  general,  like  Philadelphia,  America,  Africa,  Talla 
hassee,  Pennsylvania.  A  greater  number  are  named  after 
the  town  in  which  they  are  located,  as  for  instance,  Wood- 
burn,  No.  99,  Mound  Bayou,  No.  144.  Many  are  named 
for  historical  characters :  Washington,  Jefferson,  Frank 
lin,  Napoleon,  Webster,  Pythagoras.  Quite  a  good  many 


I06     SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [4IO 

are  named  in  honor  of  noted  negroes,  Brown,  Turner,  Dun- 
bar,  while  a  larger  number  are  named  in  honor  of  negroes 
of  local  reputation  or  of  less  wide  repute,  such  as  Maggie 
Scott,  Ed.  Jones,  No.  14,  H.  C.  Holbrook,  G.  F.  Bowles. 
The  favorite  names,  however,  and  the  large  majority  are 
given  more  promiscuously  from  scriptural  names  and  places, 
from  names  of  abstract  qualities,  terms  denoting  pride  and 
honor,  names  indicating  the  nature  of  the  society,  and  some 
from  a  sense  of  humor.  In  the  latter  class  are  Sheriff's 
Ridge,  Lightfoot,  Tillman's  Home,  and  Hard  Cash.  The 
list  shows  a  remarkable  vocabulary  of  appropriate  names 
and  is  well  worth  a  careful  perusal.  While  only  a  very 
partial  list  is  allowed  in  the  space  here  given,  the  number 
is  large  enough  and  the  examples  fully  characteristic,  so 
that  a  view  of  a  rostrum  may  be  gained.  Take,  for  in 
stance,  from  the  Pythian  Lodge  Roster  of  the  Knights 
of  Pythias,  including  over  four  hundred  subordinate  lodges, 
the  following  list,  which  excludes  names  of  persons,  towns 
and  more  general  and  common-place  appellations.  In  or 
der  that  the  full  force  and  application  of  these  names  may 
be  felt  naturally,  they  are  not  classified  according  to  themes, 
but  given  exactly  as  they  occur  over  the  state;  the  reader 
may  then  classify  them  if  he  chooses. 

Eureka,  Mt.  Helena,  Beacon  Light,  New  Light,  Evergreen, 
Rising  Star,  Beulah  Star,  Morning  Star,  Damon,  Bright  Crown, 
Pride  of  South,  Pride  of  Natchez,  Bell  of  Delta,  Pride  of  the 
East,  New  Moon,  Forest  Home,  Eminence,  Carolina  Star, 
St.  Pythian,  Knighthood,  New  Hope,  Queen  Esther,  Crescent, 
Lilly  of  Valley,  Vestal,  Progress,  Climax,  Friendly  Brother, 
Golden  Ridge.  Dionysius,  Rose  Bud,  White  Hall,  St.  John. 
Golden  Leaf,  Avondale,  Mt.  Pleasant,  Pilgrims'  Rest,  Pride 
of  Delta,  Rose  of  Sharon,  St.  Elmo,  High  Grade,  Sweet  Home, 
Queen  of  Valley,  Silver  Lake,  Rose  Hill,  Traveller's  Rest, 
Utopia.  Mizpah,  Sunlight,  St.  James.  Silver  Shield,  Lilly 


4II]  ORGANIZATIONS  AND  SOCIETIES 

White,  Pride  of  Onward,  Blue  Banner,  Excelsior,  Pride  of 
West,  Rising  Sun,  Pilgrims'  Rest,  Weeping  Willow,  Salem, 
King  of  Night,  Light  Wilderness,  Rosedale  Star,  Triumphant, 
Pride  of  Life,  Golden  Grain,  Seven  Star,  Melodia,  Bear 
Garden,  New  Prospect,  Bcilus,  Good  Water,  Good  Tidings, 
Rose  Bank,  Cora  Esther,  Southern  Beauty,  Fidelity  Monitor, 
Bonhomie,  Corner  Stone,  Farmers'  Rest,  Golden  Gem,  Mis 
sionary,  Sharon,  Golden  Crown,  Bold  Pilgrim,  Ccntcp  Beauty, 
Progressive,  Hill  of  Zion,  Canon,  Valley  Home,  Acme,  Victor, 
Mt.  Nebo,  Dominion,  Annette,  Banner,  Wavcland,  Gold 
Wreath,  Swan,  Eclipse,  Grand  View,  Breaksville,  Buckhorn, 
Sunflower  Bell,  Hickory  Tree,  White  Oak,  American  Beauty, 
Mississippi  Valley,  Free  Will,  White  Cloud,  Golden  Rule, 
Beatrice,  Aurora,  Rose  Bud,  Nugent,  Progress,  Pine  Grove, 
Black  Bayou,  Bethume,  Waterloo,  King  Davis,  Isola,  Choice, 
Helm,  Soul  Chappel,  Silver  Globe,  Honita,  Dralloo,  Sweet 
Home,  Golden  Gate,  Dixie,  Silver  Ring,  Welcome,  Farmers' 
Pride,  Sea  Shore,  Clearfield,  Leaf  Rivers,  Arborvitae,  Saving 
Farmer,  Friendly  Farmers,  Shady  Oak,  Gold  Eagle,  United 
Farmers,  Light  of  Meadville,  Pacific  Banner,  Marvel  Rock, 
White  Cedar,  Zion  Traveller,  Brownsville,  Champion's  Hill, 
Child's  Chapel,  Prosperity,  Purity,  O.  K.,  Single  Star,  Good 
Will,  Sweet  Pink,  Sprangle  Star,  Lone  Star,  Gloomy  Rose, 
Prince,  New  Era,  Paradise. 

Many  of  the  most  popular  names  occur  several  times 
even  in  the  roster  of  the  same  organization ;  a  separate  num 
ber  differentiates  them.  Thus  St.  Paul,  St.  John,  Shiloh 
and  other  Scriptural  names  are  popular.  So  are  such  names 
as  Rose,  Silver  Leaf,  Loving  Brothers,  Home,  Pride,  and 
different  names  embodying  the  words  star,  rest,  sun,  leaf 
and  so  on.  If  this  list  be  compared  with  the  roster  of  other 
societies,  it  will  be  found  to  be  very  similar;  in  fact,  for  the 
most  part  the  names  are  very  much  the  same.  Likewise  the 
names  of  subordinate  lodges  in  other  sections  of  the  South 
resemble  those  just  enumerated. 


I08     SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [4I2 

The  essential  characteristics  of  the  colored  fraternal  or 
ganizations  are  not  unlike  in  the  different  states  of  the 
South.  There  are  branches  of  the  same  orders  operating 
in  different  states,  with  home  offices  in  their  respective 
states,  thus  making  practically  separate  orders.  Others 
operate  from  one  office  into  two  or  three  states,  while  a 
few,  as  has  been  indicated,  operate  in  more.  Agents  are 
constantly  planning  to  extend  their  societies  into  wider 
territory.  Leading  teachers,  preachers,  and  business  men 
among  the  negroes  are  continually  planning  and  organiz 
ing  new  societies,  each  modeled  in  general  after  some  well- 
known  one,  but  having  a  special  feature  through  which  it 
claims  excellence.  Such  a  society  is  not  infrequently  ori 
ginated  in  a  small  town  and  extends  further,  if  successful. 
Competent  lawyers  are  employed  to  draw  up  its  articles 
and  a  suitable  charter,  and  the  encouragement  of  the  whites 
is  sought.  In  other  instances,  the  secret  societies  belong 
entirely  to  local  organizations  of  negroes,  and  not  even  its 
meetings  and  purposes  are  to  be  known  by  the  whites.  The 
names  of  other  common  orders  reveal  the  same  general  pur 
poses  and  nature  of  the  organizations  as  those  cited  from 
Mississippi.  Typical  ones  are:  Brothers  and  Sisters'  Aid 
Society,  Charitable  Brotherhood,  Colored  Brotherhood 
Company,  Giddings  and  Jollifee  Union,  Golden  Rule  Bene- 
volents,  Good  Samaritans,  Grand  Fountain  United  Order 
True  Reformers,  Grand  United  Order  of  the  Sons  and 
Daughters  of  Peace,  Lincoln  Benefit  Society,  Living  Stream 
Brotherhood,  Negro  Christian  Brotherhood,  People's  In 
dependent  Order  True  Reformers,  Royal  Knights  of  King 
David,  Sons  and  Daughters  of  Refuge,  Standard  Fraternal, 
Loving  Sisters,  Consolation,  Sisters  of  David,  Humble 
Christian,  Daughters  of  Rebecca,  Moral  Reform. 

Besides  the  subordinate  adult  lodges,  many  of  the  organi 
zations  make  provision  for  children's  societies.  Such 


ORGANIZATIONS  AND  SOCIETIES 

"  juveniles  "  are  ordinarily  superintended  by  one  or  two 
officers  elected  from  the  senior  organization,  in  most  cases 
from  among  the  women.  Each  community  as  a  rule  has 
one  or  two  children's  societies  and  in  larger  towns  they  are 
more  numerous.  They  usually  meet  once  a  month,  less 
often  fortnightly.  They  include  on  the  roll  the  majority 
of  children  of  the  requisite  age,  usually  from  six  to  seven 
teen  years.  The  attendance  at  the  meetings  is  goocf  and  the 
children  find  much  pleasure  and  pride  in  them.  At  such 
meetings  they  play^  drill,  talk  and  sometimes  sing.  They 
are  taught  to  keep  the  pass  word,  which  they  do  with  pride 
and  consummate  skill.  No  inducement  will  lead  them  to  give 
the  word  to  a  white  man.  Like  the  older  members,  the 
children  are  taught  the  benefits  of  the  societies;  the  juveniles 
are  training  schools  for  the  children.  Dues  and  assess 
ments  of  small  amounts  are  collected  and  an  initiation  fee 
of  fifty  cents  is  charged.  The  proceeds  go  for  sick  benefits 
and  burial  expenses.  The  childrens'  societies  are,  however, 
entirely  subordinate  and  hold  no  conspicuous  place  in  the 
total  of  lodge  operations. 

Some  of  the  characteristics  of  the  negro  lodge  may  now 
be  inferred.  A  single  town  having  not  more  than  five  hun 
dred  colored  inhabitants  not  infrequently  has  from  fifteen  to 
twenty  subordinate  lodges,  each  representing  a  different 
order.  Many  negroes  belong  to  from  three  to  five  each, 
and  the  majority  a  belong  to  more  than  one.  Indeed  it  is  a 
source  of  great  pride  to  be  able  to  hold  office  in  more  than  a 
single  order,  but  as  a  rule  every  negro  has  a  favorite  one  to 
which  he  is  most  loyal;  this  may  be  changeable,  differing 
from  year  to  year.  The  negroes  ordinarily  have  one  or 
two  central  meeting  places  where  the  lodges  may  meet,  a 
Masonic  or  Odd  Fellows'  Hall,  or  rooms  rented  over  a  store 

1  That  is,  a  majority  of  the  regular  lodge  patrons  and  enthusiasts. 


HO     SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [414 

owned  by  negroes.  Such  halls  are  owned  by  negroes  and 
are  used  for  various  assemblages.  The  pro-rata  for  each 
society  in  rents  is  thus  reduced  to  a  minimum,  inasmuch  as 
they  arrange  different  nights  for  their  meetings;  a  single 
hall  will  thus  serve  for  a  half  dozen  societies,  or  even  more. 
The 'social  and  fraternal  features  occupy  the  greater  part 
of  the  Negro's  time  and  interest  in  the  lodge.  The  common 
hour  for  meeting  is  eight  o'clock  in  the  evening,  with  special 
hours  arranged  to  suit  occasions;  such  meetings  often  last 
far  into  the  night  and  not  infrequently  into  the  morning 
hours.  This  is  true  especially  when  extra  features  are  on 
the  program.  The  attendance  is  rather  full,  although  at 
times  it  falls  off  for  lack  of  interest,  such  a  state  preceeding 
the  disorganization  of  that  special  lodge.  As  a  rule,  how 
ever,  the  average  negro  does  not  love  to  miss  a  meeting,  and 
will  set  aside  church  or  family  duties  to  attend  the  lodge 
function.  However,  meetings  are  often  neglected  or  post 
poned  by  mutual  agreement  for  some  other  special  event; 
for  with  the  Negro  any  new  special  feature  is  better  than 
an  ordinary  one.  At  the  regular  meetings  the  members 
attend  to  the  usual  round  of  business,  consisting  of  receiv 
ing  or  soliciting  members,  discussing  the  lodge  affairs  and 
its  members,  the  trial  of  such  members  as  are  deemed  ques 
tionable,  learning  the  rules  of  the  society  and  enjoying 
special  talks  and  debates  and  the  like.  In  the  discussion 
of  measures  and  means  every  member  wishes  a  prominent 
part  with  his  speech.  The  learning  of  the  rules  and  regula 
tions,  the  keeping  of  the  secret  and  learning  others,  with 
the  attendant  pride  and  entertainment,  make  up  the  attrac 
tive  features  of  the  regular  meeting.  The  election  of  offi 
cers  gives  additional  interest,  and  a  large  number  of  offices 
makes  it  possible  to  honor  a  large  portion  of  the  member 
ship.  The  social  feature  is  thus  stressed  in  an  indirect  way, 
the  members  "  have  somewhere  to  go  ",  and  the  total  social 


4I5]  ORGANIZATIONS  AND  SOCIETIES  IIr 

life  is  greatly  increased  by  the  meetings.  Above  all,  the 
secrets  of  the  society  are  not  disclosed.  From  the  young 
est  member  of  the  children's  societies  to  the  oldest  veteran 
in  fraternal  circles,  complete  silence  is  maintained  on  all 
things  pertaining  to  the  secrets  of  their  society.  Leaders 
and  preachers  who  have  responded  readily  with  information 
in  regard  to  other  matters,  become  silent  on  all  alike  when 
questioned  in  regard  to  special  phases  of  lodge  life,  although 
there  is  a  minority  who  are  willing  to  express  an  opinion 
concerning  the  advantages  or  disadvantages  of  the  secret 
societies. 

The  chief  characteristics  of  the  fraternal  organization 
may  be  learned  from  the  enthusiastic  claims  of  their  agents. 
The  Negro  stresses  the  feature  that  appeals  most  to  his  con 
stituency,  each  organization  maintaining  that  it  has  special 
qualities  that  render  it  unquestionably  the  best  in  the  world. 
Typical  examples  of  advertisements  will  serve  to  illustrate. 
The  following  announcement  is  printed  regularly  in  the 
official  organ  of  the  society,  besides  being  distributed  in 
circular  form. 

READ  EVERY  LINE  OF  ME. 

THE 

INDUSTRIAL  MUTUAL  RELIEF  ASSOCIATION  :  Home  Office,. 
Brookhaven,  Miss.  Chartered  in  the  State  of  Mississippi 
in  1901. 

Its  object  is  to  Intellectually,  Morally,  Financially,  and 
Religiously  elevate  the  Race. 

This  organization  has  no  equal.  Why  ?  Because  it  provides 
to  pay  its  members  when  totally  disabled,  to  earn  support,  a 
pension  of  not  less  than  $12  or  more  than  $36  PER  QUAR 
TER,  to  members  holding  $1,000  policies.  Pays  doctor's  bills 
out  of  pension  if  previous  arrangements  be  made  with  the 
Master  or  sick  committee.  Pays  from  subordinate  lodge  $8 
PER  MONTH  AT  $2  PER  WEEK  for  sick  benefits  and 


II2     SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO 

buys  medicine.  Will  educate  members  of  the  order  free. 
FURNISHES  A  $25  FUNERAL.  Puts  a  $15  TOMB 
STONE  at  the  grave  of  the  dead.  Loans  money  on  policies. 
Makes  all  loans  at  6  percent.  Will  aid  in  buying  lands  and 
building  homes  for  its  members.  Pays  all  assessment  money 
back  every  five  years,  in  cash  to  each  member,  or  if  any  mem 
ber  wishes  he  can  draw  a  paid  up  certificate  for  five  years  and 
remain  in  the  order  without  paying  assessments.  Members 
cannot  lose  if  they  stick  to  the  order  five  years.  All  claims 
settled  promptly.  Either  sex  eligible  from  5  to  65  years  of 
age,  if  in  perfect  health,  for  $3.00.  Children  from  5  to  15 
years  of  age  at  $1.50.  It  is  the  purpose  of  the  Association  to 
furnish  educational  protection  to  its  members,  and  to  assist 
them  in  time  of  need.  Therefore  it  is  the  desire  of  the  So 
ciety  to  secure  the  cooperation  of  all  who  have  the  interest  of 
their  fellowmen  at  heart,  in  order  that  the  sick,  disabled, 
widows  and  orphans,  and  any  legal  representative  may  be 
protected.  Members  holding  $500  policies  will  get  a  pension 
for  total  disability  of  not  less  than  $9  or  more  than  $18  per 
quarter.  In  writing  members  state  what  policy  wanted.  As 
sessments  per  month  on  $1,000,  $1.00;  on  $500,  50  cents. 

$200  for  35  cents  per  month.  Members  holding  such  policy 
shall  be  known  as  contributors  to  the  Old  Folks  and  Youths 
Distribution  fund.  The  fund  both  in  the  subordinate  and 
grand  lodge  shall  be  kept  entirely  separate,  as  there  is  gen 
erally  more  sickness  among  the  ones  expected  to  hold  this  policy 
than  any  other. 

Anyone  though  can  hold  this  policy  that  wishes. 

This  policy  can  be  held  by  all  persons  wishing  to  join  this 
Society  from  50  years  of  age  up,  children  may  hold  it  if  de 
sired  from  5  years  to  16  years  of  age. 

This  Association  is  to  elevate  the  Race  by  building  Indus 
tries  that  will  better  employ  each  and  all  who  want  to  do 
something.  Aside  from  the  benevolent  part,  we  expect  to 
establish  Banks,  Drug  Stores,  Build  Homes,  and  do  many 
other  good  things  as  stated  above. 


ORGANIZATIONS  AND  SOCIETIES 

AFTER  DEATH  :  WHEN  You  HAVE  ROBBED  YOUR  FAMILY. 

When  men  think  of  their  death,  they  are  apt  to  think  of  it 
only  in  connection  with  their  spiritual  welfare,  and  not  of  the 
destruction  in  the  household  which  will  come  from  their  emmi- 
gration  from  it.  It  is  selfish  for  you  to  be  so  absorbed  in  the 
heaven  to  which  you  are  going,  that  you  forget  what  is  to 
become  of  your  wife  and  children  after  you  are  gone.  You 
go  out  of  this  world  not  leaving  them  a  dollar  yet  you  die 
happy.  You  can  trust  them  in  the  hands  of  God,  who  owns 
all,  but  if  you  could  pay  a  premium  on  a  policy  and  neglect  it, 
then  it  is  a  mean  thing  for  you  to  do  to  go  up  to  heaven  re 
joicing,  while  the  family  goes  to  the  poorhouse.  When  their 
elbows,  feet  and  knees  are  bare,  the  thought  of  your  splendid 
robe  in  heaven  will  not  keep  them  warm.  The  minister  may 
preach  a  splendid  sermon  over  the  remains,  and  the  choir 
may  sing  with  tongues  of  angels,  but  you  have  robbed  your 
family.  You  could  have  provided  for  your  household,  and 
you  neglected  it.  To  this  end  we  wish  to  interest  you,  that 
you  will  not  neglect  to  join  a  good  society. 

The  president  of  the  above  society  is  an  industrious  and 
law-abiding  negro,  owning  some  property  and  taking  great 
interest  in  his  leadership.  He  maintains  that  "  you  don't 
have  to  die  to  win  in  his  society,  but  win  while  you  live  ". 
He  wishes  to  extend  the  territory  of  his  organization  into 
other  states.  He  and  his  wife  conduct  a  school  for  the  in 
dustrial  training  of  members  of  the  lodge,  but  open  to  any 
who  have  the  money.  Instruction  is  given  by  these  two  in 
"  Kindergarten,  English,  Normal,  College  Preparatory 
(Classical),  College  Course  (Classical),  Industrial,  Sewing, 
Cooking,  Fancy  Work,  Bicycle,  Umbrella  and  Furniture 
Repairing,  Mattress  Making  and  Upholstery."  The  wife, 
who  is  principal,  the  husband  being  the  president,  "  Solicits 
Donations  for  Purpose  of  Building  Dormitories  for  Girls 
and  Boys,  and  for  other  general  necessities  such  as  Desks, 


SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO 

Apparatus,  and  other  school  supplies.  We  are  out  for  the 
good  of  the  race  and  will  be  thankful  for  any  amount  con 
tributed  by  the  lovers  of  education,  morality  and  industry. 
We  want  to  raise  $50,000."  The  expense  account  then  is 
given,  including  instruction  in  "  Music  Department — Eight 
Grades  ",  which  is  given  by  the  "  lady-Principal."  Special 
items  are :  "  Positively,  payments  must  be  made  monthly 
and  in  advance."  "  Recitations  will  be  suspended  from 
students  who  fall  behind  in  their  accounts.  Members  of 
the  I.  M.  R.  A.  will  be  provided  for  an  entrance  into  the 
school.  Board  $6.00  per  month."  An  advertisement,  on 
stiff  cardboard,  is  the  means  of  extra  solicitation  for  the 
school.  On  one  side  of  this  card  is  the  photograph  of  the 
"  president  ",  covering  one-half  the  face  of  the  card.  With 
the  photograph  and  covering  the  other  half,  is  written: 
Prof.  -  — ,  President  of  the  I.  M.  R.  A.,  The  I.  M.  B. 

I.  I.  &  C.  of  T.,  Editor  of  The  Peoples  Relief  and  Sec.  of  the 
Y.  M.  C.  A.  Box  251  Residence  413  E.  -  -  St.  On  the 
opposite  side  of  the  card  is  inscribed  the  "  School  of  Infor 
mation  "  giving  rates  and  courses  and  in  addition  the  fol 
lowing  card : 

JOIN  OUR  ORDER 

THE  INDUSTRIAL  MUTUAL  RELIEF  ASSOCIATION 

And  be  benefitted.     See  the  President,  or 

write  for  information.    The  best 

in  the  world 

Subscribe  for  THE  PEOPLES  RELIEF,  one  of  the 
leading  negro  papers 

AGENTS  WANTED  FOR  EVERYTHING.    BIG  Salaries  Paid. 

The  above  illustrations  show  something  of  the  enthusiasm 
and  remarkable  energy  and  faith  that  is  put  into  these  so 
cieties  and  their  undertakings.  They  show  also  one  of  the 


4io]        ,         ORGANIZATIONS  AND  SOCIETIES 

secrets  of  their  marvelous  success.  The  Negro  believes 
in  advertising;  he  does  not  object  to  figures  or  world 
wide  comparisons.  Enthusiasm  is  contagious  and  members 
come  in  rapidly.  They  are  all  honest  in  their  beliefs,  in  a 
way ;  his  order  succeeds,  then  why  is  it  not  a  great  one  ?  He 
wishes  to  teach  everything  that  can  be  taught  and  his  peo 
ple  need  it,  why  not  teach  it  ?  And  indeed  he  must  have  his 
running  expenses  and  these  are  forthcoming.  Take  another 
illustration,  published  in  the  Southern  Forum,  the  official 
organ  of  the  Lone  Star  Race  Pride,  Friendship,  Love  and 
Help: 

GREATEST  IN  THE  NEGRO  LIMELIGHT. 

The  following  are  a  few  of  the  many  reasons  why  the 
ORDER  of  the  LONE  STAR  RACE  PRIDE  is  the  greatest 
before  the  fraternal  limelight  today: 

First — It  is  purely  and  absolutely  a  colored  order  from 
start  to  finish — the  product  of  the  brain  of  the  race. 

Second — It  aims  to  reach  the  unreached  masses,  as  well  as 
the  classes,  of  the  race,  thereby  placing  the  lever  where  it  is 
most  needed  to  elevate  the  manhood  and  womanhood  of  this 
race. 

Third — It  pays  a  weekly  sick  benefit,  from  $2.00  to  $5.00, 
to  all  sick  or  disabled  members. 

Fourth — It  furnishes  a  funeral  outfit,  from  $15.00  to  $100.00, 
to  all  deceased  members. 

Fifth — It  pays  a  $300.00  death  benefit,  ninety  days  after 
the  death  of  a  member  in  good  standing. 

Sixth — It  gives  relief  to  all  members  who  are  financially 
distressed  from  loss  of  home  or  household  effects  etc.,  caused 
either  by  fire,  wind,  water,  or  other  natural  agencies. 

Seventh— It  operates  an  ART,  TRADE  AND  LITERARY 
COLLEGE  where  the  members  can  have  their  sons  and  daugh 
ters  educated  at  a  minimum  cost. 

Eighth— It  has  a  MILITARY  or  UNIFORM  RANK  DE- 


I  T6     SOCIAL  AXD  MEXTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [420 

PARTMEXT  under  the  management  of  a  MAJOR  GEN 
ERAL,  where  its  male  members  may  receive  such  instructions 
that  they  will  be  prepared  to  serve  their  country  in  future 
emergencies. 

Ninth— It  has  a  JUVENILE  DEPARTMENT  under  the 
management  of  a  MATRON  and  CHAPERONE  where  the 
boys  and  girls,  from  6  to  16  years  of  age,  are  prepared  to 
enter  the  Mystic  Temple  of  Light  and  Knowledge. 

Tenth— It  has  a  BUSINESS  DEPARTMENT,  in  which 
the  members  are  taught  business — how  to  save  and  invest  their 
money  and  thus  have  something  in  this  life. 

This  order  is  presenting  ITS  CLAIM  and  TAKING  HOLD 
on  the  race  everywhere,  and  we  need  DEPUTIES,  GOOD, 
HONEST,  ENERGETIC  men  and  women  in  EVERY 
STATE  to  represent  it.  ONE  who  is  a  HUSTLER  can 
easily  make  $200  or  more  a  month  and  expenses.  When  writ 
ing  for  deputyship,  send  REFERENCE  and  your  PHOTO 
GRAPH. 

The  claims  of  such  an  order  are  indeed  enormous :  to 
some  extent,  however,  they  are  all  fulfilled.  There  is  a 
trade  school,  a  juvenile  department  and  business  sugges 
tions  made  in  plenty.  They  do  drill  and  train  sometimes  in 
uniform  under  a  "major  general"  such  as  they  choose: 
plans  are  made  to  relieve  suffering  of  all  kinds.  It  thus 
claims  to  be  a  panacea  for  all  human  evils  and  the  only  way 
to  perfection  in  the  individual  and  the  millennium  of  the 
race.  The  above  society  besides  furnishing  such  bene 
volent  aids  is  also  the  "  Mystic  Temple  of  Light  and 
Knowledge."  Its  school  is  a  "  Trade  and  Literary  College  " 
with  two  teachers  and  a  small  number  of  pupils,  like  the 
one  just  mentioned,  varying  from  twenty  to  fifty.  The 
school  is  situated  "  in  the  heart  of  the  Delta,  the  Modern 
Eden  of  the  world,  offers  unsurpassed  opportunities  for  the 
colored  youths  of  the  South ",  and  gives  courses  in 


42 1  ]  ORGAN IZA  TIONS  AND  SOCIETIES  l 1  j 

"  English.  Normal  and  Collegiate,  Industrial  courses  for 
boys — Carpentry  and  kindred  trades,  Agriculture,  care  of 
Live  Stock,  &c.,  For  Girls — Sewing,  Mexican  Drawing 
work,  Household  Economy,  Horticulture  and  Millinery." 

The  success  of  the  negro  fraternal  orders  in  obtaining 
money  enables  them  to  make  such  offers  as  the  above.  The 
chief  elements  entering  into  their  finances  must  be  Reserved 
for  another  place,  but  some  of  their  demands  may  be  noted 
at  this  point.  Here  are  some  of  the  requirements  in  brief 
as  they  are  given  in  the  orders  of  commanders : 

All  Grand  Writers  must  collect  endowment.  §1.00,  in  Decem 
ber  from  every  member  of  their  lodge.  Each  Grand  Writer 
shall  collect  the  Supreme  Lodge  tax,  25  cents  for  the  last  half 
of  the  year  and  report  in  December  .  .  .  also  collect  the  first 
half  of  semi-annual  distress  tax,  5  cents,  from  each  member. 
.  .  .  This  is  in  accordance  with  a  late  act  of  the  supreme  lodge. 
The  school  tax.  25  cents,  for  the  first  half  of  the  year  must 
be  collected  from  each  member.  The  Grand  President  of  each 
subordinate  lodge  shall  see  that  semi-annual  pass  word  money, 
10  cents,  is  collected  from  each  member  by  the  Grand  Writer. 
Each  subordinate  lodge  shall  be  held  responsible  for  each 
member  on  its  roster  and  must  forward  in  its  report  10  cents 
for  each  member.  No  lodge  that  is  chartered  shall  make 
or  initiate  persons  into  the  order  for  less  than  $5.00,  nor  more 
than  Sio.oo  without  a  dispensation  from  the  Great  Supreme 
Grand  President.  The  last  supreme  Lodge  passed  a  resolu 
tion  making  it  compulsory  for  every  subordinate  lodge  to 
subscribe  for  the  lodge  paper  and  also  have  its  lodge,  location, 
nights  of  meeting,  and  chief  officers  advertised  for  the  whole 
year  in  the  lodge  directory,  for  which  each  lodge  must  pay 
82.00.  Each  lodge,  therefore,  must  collect  the  money  at  once 
and  send  it  to  the  Great  Supreme  Grand  President.  If  the 
Grand  presidents  of  each  subordinate  lodge  will  urge  upon 
the  members  that  each  purchase  a  copy  of  the  constitution  and 
by-laws  there  will  be  less  trouble  among  the  members  in  the 


SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [422 

local  lodges.  The  Supreme  Lodge  ordered  that  every  sub 
ordinate  lodge  at  an  early  date  give  a  special  entertainment 
for  the  benefit  of  the  SCHOOL  FUND  the  proceeds  of  which 
must  be  reported  forthwith  to  the  treasurer. 


enthusiastic  tribute  to  the  lodge,  which  is  well  calculated  to 
inspire  absolute  confidence  in  the  worthiness  of  the  causes 
for  which  the  Negro's  money  is  to  be  spent.  Says  he : 

Our  order  is  springing  up  here,  there,  and  in  fact  everywhere, 
as  if  touched  by  some  magic  wand.  In  short,  its  development 
is  the  greatest  wonder  of  the  hour.  People  everywhere  in 
stantaneously  appreciate  the  inestimable  worth  of  its  aims  and 
objects,  and  fully  regard  them  as  the  "  key  "  to  the  solution 
of  the  negro  problem  the  world  over,  hence  are  joining  our 
ranks  by  thousands  daily. 

Other  items  of  possible  extra  fees  are  numerous,  and  are 
flexible. 

Deputies  and  lodges  can  charge  $1.50  for  membership  or  re 
newal  in  the  U.  S.  and  S.  of  B.  of  A.  but  must  send  to  the 
grand  secretary  and  treasurer,  fifty  five  cents  for  new  mem 
bers  and  one  dollar  for  renewed  members.  If  a  member  does 
not  pay  assessments  by  the  fifteenth  of  each  month  he  or  she 
must  renew  by  paying  one  dollar.  All  members  missing  two 
assessments  in  succession  must  take  out  new  membership  by 
paying  $1.50  and  changing  policies.  The  Bond  Tax  for  each 
lodge  is  seventy  five  cents,  which  amount  secures  the  local 
secretary  and  treasurer  and  is  cheaper  than  making  personal 
bonds.  Just  send  in  seventy  five  cents  and  the  Grand  Lodge 
will  do  the  rest.  You  do  not  have  to  hunt  up  any  sureties 
or  go  before  any  officer  of  the  law,  nor  do  you  need  any  bond 
blanks.  All  you  need  to  do  is  to  send  the  seventy  five  cents 
in  at  once. 


423]  ORGANIZATIONS  AND  SOCIETIES 

Likewise,  another  lodge  charges  more  for  blanks  and  forms, 
another  for  ritual  and  another  for  various  incidentals. 
Guides  containing  the  ceremonies  are  sold  at  from  seventy- 
five  cents  to  a  dollar  and  a  half  with  the  exhortation  that 
'"  every  lodge  should  have  several  copies  and  every  member 
should  be  in  possession  of  one  copy  and  keep  up  with  the 
ritualistic  work  ". 

One  of  the  most  prominent  items  in  the  expenseyentailed 
upon  the  members  by  many  of  the  lodges  is  that  for  dress 
regalia.  Badges,  buttons,  signs,  uniforms  and  robes  con 
tribute  much  to  the  pleasurable  expenses  of  the  members. 
And  the  supplies  are  usually  bought  from  headquarters  or 
from  an  individual  prominent  in  the  order.  Take  the  fol 
lowing  illustrations: 

KEEP  YOUR  EYE  ON  THIS  ARTICLE 

To  all  Subordinate  Lodges  throughout  the  Supreme  Juris 
diction,  Greeting: 

I, ,  Great  Supreme  Grand  President 

of  the  L.  S.  R.  P.  of  E.  L.  &  H,  by  authority  invested  in  me, 
do  hereby  designate  Sunday,  August  ninth  as  the  day  and  date 
on  which  to  observe  our  aniversary,  and  call  upon  every  one 
of  the  lodges  to  assemble  in  their  temple  or  some  house  of 
worship,  and  observe  the  day  with  appropriate  religious  cere 
mony.  Official  program  will  be  mailed  out  to  all  lodges  in  time 

DRESS  AND  REGALIA 

All  gentlemen  must  wear  black  pants,  black  coats  and  black 
hats  and  white  vests  and  white  gloves.  Ladies  must  wear 
black  skirts  and  white  waists  and  white  gloves  and  plain 
white  sailor  hats.  All  officers  must  have  on  a  collar,  except  the 
Grand  President,  who  must  wear  a  crown,  white  robe  and 
collar;  the  Grand  Writer  must  wear  a  crown,  blue  robe  and 
collar.  All  other  members  may  wear  collars  but  must  wear 
badges.  All  officers  and  members  must  be  in  full  regalia  on 
that  day.  For  collars,  buttons,  badges,  banners  etc.,  each 


120     SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [424 

lodge  should  send  in  its  order  now  that  there  may  be  no  delay 
in  filling  it  in  time. 

Again  another  lodge  rules :  "All  subordinate  lodges  are 
required  under  penalty  of  law,  to  celebrate  the  Grand  Lodge 
Anniversary  on  the  4th.  Sunday  in  April.  Fail  not.  On 
this  occasion  and  on  all  public  occasions,  every  member  must 
participate  and  have  on  the  regular  lodge  badge.  Better 
send  in  your  order  in  time."  So  again:  "Every  lodge 
should  have  a  full  set  of  dress  regalia  and  the  lodge  seal  ". 
And  no  one  objects  to  the  regalia.  Indeed  it  is  the  chief 
joy  of  special  occasions  to  march  in  uniform  with  banners 
and  colors.  Such  a  procession  is  indeed  an  interesting  and 
also  an  impressive  spectacle.  It  is  with  pleasure  that  the 
local  lodge  reports  the  ceremonies  to  headquarters,  services 
being  carried  out  "  with  members  sitting  with  badges  on  " 
or  "  when  members  marched  in  full  regalia  ". 

In  addition  to  such  expenses  as  are  entailed  by  the  regular 
fees  and  such  extras  as  have  been  mentioned,  the  lodge 
undertakes  to  raise  much  money  by  social  gatherings. 
Special  meetings  always  "  raise "  a  collection  and  rally 
days  are  numerous.  The  box  suppers,  musicals  and  literary 
entertainments,  dances  and  the  like  combine  the  social  fea 
tures  with  the  raising  of  money.  In  this  way  the  sum 
total  of  money  raised  approximates  large  amounts  for  the 
Negro;  much  of  this  is  never  returned  to  the  members  be 
cause  of  the  great  percentage  who  drop  out  after  a  few 
payments.  Enthusiasm  is  wild,  but  wanes.  So  too  there  is 
some  discontent  and  rivalry  among  the  lodges  and  mem 
bers.  Some  of  the  secretaries  and  treasurers  apparently  ap 
propriate  some  of  the  collections  to  their  own  dispensation, 
while  as  a  rule  they  are  allowed  great  freedom  in  expend 
ing  it.  The  attitude  of  the  Negro  toward  the  actual  and 
probable  misappropriation  of  lodge  funds  is  noteworthy. 


425]  ORGANIZATIONS  AND  SOCIETIES  I2i 

The  penalty  for  such  offence  is  not  heavy,  as  a  rule.  The 
pointed  locals  from  the  editor's  pen  illustrate  the  situation. 

M.  A.  Thomas  who  was  secretary  at  Pleasant  Hill  Lodge  has 
been  suspended  from  office,  because  of  misappropriating  Grand 
Lodge  Funds.  Some  other  secretaries  are  pinching  off  the 
Grand  Lodge  funds  and  misappropriating  Grand  Lodge 
moneys,  who  if  they  do  not  stop  will  receive  the  same  medicine. 
Better  accept  this  timely  warning  and  "  come  across." 

There  is  a  certain  local  secretary  in  Warren  county,  won't 
call  his  name  just  now,  but  if  he  keeps  up  his  habit  I  will,  who 
has  been  nibbling  off  the  Grand  lodge  money  for  a  year  or 
two.  If  he  does  not  quit  we  will  have  to  pull  the  cover  from 
off  him. 

Some  of  the  secretaries  are  still  appropriating  the  assessment 
moneys  to  their  own  use,  which  is  a  violation  of  the  laws  of 
the  order  and  of  the  state.  Such  an  act  is  a  penitentiary  of 
fence  and  yet  some  of  our  secretaries  will  take  the  risk. 

If  some  of  the  secretaries  who  have  appropriated  the  lodge's 
money  to  their  use  do  not  "  come  across  "  at  an  early  date, 
their  names  and  acts  will  be  published  in  the  May  number  of 
the  Banner. 

And  thus  frightened,  the  secretaries  "  come  across  at  a 
rapid  gait;  indeed  some  make  amends  who  have  perhaps 
appropriated  no  funds  illegally.  As  has  been  noted  else 
where  the  Negro  assumes  an  attitude  of  guilt  all  the  time, 
both  toward  himself  and  toward  his  fellow  man.  He  may 
at  least  be  guilty  of  something.  On  the  other  hand,  it  may 
be  said  that  after  all,  aside  from  the  general  graft  of  lodge 
leaders,  which  is  considered  by  all  parties  thoroughly  justi 
fiable,  the  amount  of  lodge  funds  appropriated  would  seem 
to  be  much  smaller  than  one  would  expect. 

It  is  often  difficult  for  members  and  for  subordinate 
lodges  to  bring  forward  their  assessments  on  time.  Hence 


I22     SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [426 

ample  provisions  are  made  for  paying  them  later,  by  an  in 
creased  fee.  For  two  or  more  delays  renewal  is  necessary, 
for  which  one-half  of  the  original  fee  is  usually  added.  It 
often  happens  that  there  are  more  renewals  than  new  mem 
bers.  Again,  individual  members,  as  well  as  entire  subor 
dinate  lodges  permit  their  policies  to  lapse  for  weeks  or 
even  months,  thus  giving  up  all  claim  to  the  amounts  paid 
in,  until  some  speaker  pleads  the  cause  of  the  order,  when 
enthusiasm  is  again  aroused  and  all  join  again.  Nor  do 
they  regret  the  necessity  of  having  to  pay  again;  this  hap 
pens  not  once  but  often,  and  not  infrequently  several  times 
in  the  life  of  a  single  subordinate  lodge.  It  is  to  be  ex 
pected,  then,  that  petty  difficulties  may  often  arise,  and 
attempts  to  avoid  paying  and  yet  keep  their  membership. 
There  is,  however,  much  leniency  at  headquarters,  lest  the 
lodge  be  lost,  and  rules  are  not  always  enforced.  The  fol 
lowing  items  from  the  column  of  instructions  and  warnings 
will  illustrate  the  general  as  well  as  the  specific  attitude. 

A  certain  Lodge  at  B.  always  straightens  up  in  time  to  repre 
sent  in  the  Grand  Lodge  every  year  and  then  never  pays 
another  assessment,  but  renews  again  just  before  the  next 
Grand  Lodge  meeting.  They  tell  us  the  members  pay  assess 
ments  regularly  during  the  whole  year.  Now  the  secretary 
of  this  lodge,  must  "  come  to  time  "  or  we  will  publish  his 
lodge. 

If  you  take  a  notion  to  become  delinquent  or  the  money  is 
hard  to  get  to  pay  your  dues,  don't  lay  the  blame  on  the 
Grand  Lodge  or  some  of  its  officers,  but  act  the  part  of  a  man 
or  woman  and  just  back  out. 

If  several  other  lodges  who  are  behind  in  paying  assess 
ments  do  not  report  in  a  few  days,  they  will  be  suspended  and 
published.  All  must  comply  with  the  law  alike.  We  cannot 
bend  the  law  to  you  but  will  have  to  bend  you  to  the  law. 


ORGANIZATIONS  AND  SOCIETIES 

So,  too,  letters  from  former  members  indicate  the  renewed 
enthusiasm  as  well  as  the  desire  to  again  get  in  the  "  lime 
light  of  fraternal  society."  Sometimes  it  is  a  desire  to  be 
come  the  leader  in  the  new  lodge  and  thus  receive  certain 
emoluments ;  sometimes  it  is  a  desire  for  approval  from  the 
Supreme  headquarters  and  from  the  race  in  general,  for 
each  writer  thinks  everybody  else  reads  and  knows  his  or 
her  letter.  Sometimes  it  is  apparently  pure  enthusiasm  and 
faith  in  the  good  work  of  the  order.  Pride  goes  far  to 
ward  culminating  such  enthusiasm.  The  following  is  a 
typical  attitude: 

Dear  Professor  B. — This,  I  suppose,  will  be  a  surprise  to  you, 
but  I  trust  it  will  be  an  agreeable  surprise.  The  Benevolent 
Banner  reached  me  today  and  after  perusing  its  columns  with 
much  care  my  mind  went  back  to  its  first  obligation,  which 
was  made  in  the  Benevilent  Society  some  years  ago.  So  I  write 
that  I  may  get  authority  to  reorganize  the  lodge  at  this  place 
or  to  organize  a  new  one.  Now  if  this  is  satisfactory,  please 
send  me  a  constitution  and  full  information  that  I  may  become 
acquainted  again. 

I  am  now  carrying  $3,700  worth  of  fraternal  insurance  in 
other  orders  but  the  Benevolent  is  my  first  love  and  reading 
the  Banner  has  renewed  my  affections  for  it.  Please  explain 
fully,  as  my  school  will  close  on  the  22inst  and  I  can  do  much 
work  for  the  Grand  Old  Order  by  the  next  session  of  the 
Grand  Lodge.  Much  love  to  you  and  yours.  Yours  for 
Success,  Mrs.  -  etc. 

"  Chips  from  the  Grand  Inspector's  Ax  "  are  interesting  re 
ports  and  insight  into  the  lodge  life  and  ideals  of  the  negroes- 
Here  are  found  bright,  sparkling  and  newsy  enthusiasm, 
which  reflect  all  too  plainly  the  popular  and  pleasant  man 
ners  and  methods  of  the  lodge  workers  and  the  laymen. 
The  inspector  reports : 


SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [428 

I  visited  St.  Paul  Lodge  and  was  nicely  received  and  enter 
tained.  We  had  a  regular  Benevolent  Covenant  meeting  and 
all  delinquent  members  to  promise  to  renew,  those  in  promised 
to  stay  in  the  field  and  those  out  promised  to  get  in  as  soon 
as  possible.  Good  Benevolent  talks  were  made  by  Brothers 
so  and  so  and  sisters  so  and  so  etc.  I  responded  in  my  humble 
way  in  behalf  of  the  Grand  Lodge.  A  royal  banquet  was 
spread  and  all  enjoyed  it  beyond  description.  A  nice  purse 
was  presented  to  to  the  Grand  Inspector.  The  St.  Paul 
Lodge  is  up  to  date. 

Having  arrived  at  Arcola  Saturday  morning  I  was  met  by 
Hon.  L.  J.  Taylor  who  carried  me  to  Manhatten  to  the  home 
of  Hon.  Brother  C.  M.  and  Sister  M.,  a  Christian  lady. 
Dinner  being  ready,  I  sat  down  at  that  large  and  tempting  table 
and  wondered  whether  I  had  arrived  in  the  Land  of  Canaan 
or  the  Garden  of  Eden.  Horses  being  furnished  us  by  the 
President  we  rode  to  several  plantations  preaching  the  Bene 
volent  gospel.  We  also  walked  the  streets  of  Arcola  doing 
the  same.  Rev.  E.  D.  W.  our  grand  deputy  is  doing  good 
work  in  this  neck  of  the  woods  and  expects  to  send  in  ten 
lodges  before  the  grand  lodge  meets.  Sisters  M.,  T.,  and  T. 
are  good  working  members.  Having  arri/ed  at  the  hall  Presi 
dent  M.  called  the  meeting  to  order.  Rev.  L.  I.  T.  chaplain 
ascended  the  sacred  rostrum  and  read  for  the  opening  the  2nd. 
chapter  of  Matthew,  and  sang  "  A  Charge  to  Keep  I  have  "y 
after  which  prayed  a  spiritual  prayer.  Addresses  was  then 
delivered  by  Brothers  and  sisters  etc.  President  M.  in  a  most 
stylish  and  flattering  way  introduced  your  humble  servant. 
My  benevolent  spirit  being  at  its  highest  degrees  at  the  good 
treatment  of  these  I  spoke  until  I  was  carried  off  in  a  benevo 
lent  trance.  I  was  nicely  entertained  at  the  home  of  Rev.  I.  T. 
that  night  and  was  escorted  to  the  train  the  next  morning  by  a 
committee  composed  of  brothers.  A  thousand  thanks  to  Ar 
cola.  Go  forward. 

Another,   after   the   description   of   various   particulars   as 
above  concludes  in  an  equally  joyous  manner : 


429]  ORGANIZATIONS  AND  SOCIETIES 

Devotional  exercises  being  over,  I  was  introduced  by  the  vice- 
president  and  I  informed  them  that  all  great  things  has  its 
ups  and  downs  but  stand  fast  in  the  benevolence  that  was 
handed  down  to  Hon.  P.,  Prof.  B.,  and  Father  R.  After  this 
a  nice  purse  was  presented  to  me.  After  the  meeting  ad 
journed  these  loving  brothers  went  to  Sawyers  Hotel  and 
rented  the  best  room  and  paid  board  and  lodging  for  me. 
Three  cheers  for  Pride  of  Leland  No.  190.  j 

While  in  some  localities  much  strife  and  jealousies  exist 
between  rival  orders,  for  the  most  part  they  are  notice 
ably  lacking.  The  contrast  between  lodge  and  church  is 
here  apparent;  the  lodges  manifest  more  of  the  fraternal 
spirit  than  do  the  churches  one  toward  another.  In  no 
phase  of  negro  life,  home,  school,  church  or  lodge  is  he 
free  from  petty  rivalries  to  some  degree,  but  in  the  lodge, 
members  are  often  in  good  fellowship  and  standing  in  sev 
eral  orders.  A  leading  "  light  "  and  the  editor  of  the  offi 
cial  organ  of  one  order  was  also  the  most  prominent  local 
leader  in  another.  He  published  the  rival  orders'  meetings 
and  proceedings  in  a  column  preceding  those  of  the  one 
represented  by  the  paper.  He  also  refers  with  pride  to  the 
two  orders  when  speaking  of  his  work.  Local  lodges  often 
combine  to  celebrate  a  special  day,  each  sitting  in  a  section 
of  the  hall  or  church.  Many  letters  report  with  pride  the 
harmony  existing  among  the  two  or  more  orders,  and  much 
fun  and  ribaldry  is  indulged  in  at  each  other's  expense. 

Perhaps  enthusiasm  is  nowhere  more  marked  and  wild 
than  among  the  lay  members  and  officers  of  subordinate 
lodges.  Their  sentiments  are  less  often  given  to  the  public 
than  are  those  of  the  supreme  officials,  and  as  a  rule,  their 
enthusiasm  is  of  shorter  duration,  but  it  is  nevertheless  not 
less  marked.  Reports  from  secretaries  of  the  subordinate 
chapters  are  solicited  for  the  official  papers  and  many  are 


126     SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [430 

published.  Statements  from  individuals  give  characteristic 
zeal  in  conversation  and  in  writing.  Something  has  already 
been  seen  of  this  feature  of  lodge  life.  Typical  letters 
from  members  are  here  given  for  further  illustration.  They 
indicate  the  specific  points  noted  and  at  the  same  time  sum 
up  many  of  the  features  and  details  of  negro  lodge  customs 
and  operations.  Much,  too,  of  the  Negro's  nature  is  re 
flected  in  such  expressions. 

Dear  Editor :  Please  allow  me  space  in  your  valuable  paper 
to  speak  of  our  excellent  Grand  Lodge  Aniversary,  which  was 
observed  by  St.  Paul  Lodge,  No.  81.  The  Lodge  attired  in 
full  dress  uniform,  accompanied  by  Zion  Hill  Lodge  No.  100,. 
who  was  also  attired  in  full  dress  uniform,  formed  procession 
at  school  house  and  marched  to  the  church  where  an  anxious 
crowd  was  assembled  to  witness  the  ceremonies. 

The  meeting  was  called  to  order  and  a  fervent  prayer  ser 
vice  followed.  Everybody  seemed  fairly  enthused  and  the 
singing  was  beautiful.  Brother  J.  M.  T.  read  for  introduction 
the  6ist  Chapter  of  Isaiah  and  lined  while  the  congregation 
sang,  "  I  heard  the  Voice  of  Jesus  Say  etc  ".  Brother  S.  C.  W. 
fervently  petitioned  the  Throne  of  Grace.  President  W.  J.  B. 
preached  an  able  sermon  from  a  selection  of  the  I3th  chapter 
of  Cor.  He  struck  a  death  blow  to  the  theory  of  fraternal 
benefit  societies  being  a  hindrance  to  the  race.  He  showed 
that  a  man  had  a  right  to  live  and  die  for  his  God  and  his 
family,  and  that  a  man  could  not  better  live  and  die  for  his 
family  than  by  joining  endowment  societies  and  leaving  a 
benefit  to  his  dear  ones  when  he  crosses  the  river.  Brother 
D.  B.  executive  officer  of  the  local  Jacob  Lodge  made  an  able 
address  defending  the  good  name  of  fraternal  orders.  Many 
persons  in  the  audience  were  heard  to  exclaim,  "  I  am  per 
suaded  to  join  this  great  order."  Cloths  were  spread  on  the 
beautiful  grass,  a  feast  was  had  and  all  ate  till  they  were 
filled.  Collection  $9.50.  All  went  home  exclaiming  in  the 


43I]  ORGANIZATIONS  AND  SOCIETIES 

language  of  Peter  of  old,  "  It  is  good  for  us  to  be  here." 
Yours  in  B.  L.  etc. 

Every  letter  from  subordinate  lodges  furnishes  many  points 
of  interest;  only  a  few,  however,  can  be  included  here.  Dif 
fering  somewhat  in  details  from  the  above  reports  is  the 
following  characteristic  letter,  coming  from  the  Pythian 
circles.  It  presents  a  complete  general  view  of  ^  typical 
meeting  with  the  consequent  effect  upon  the  negroes  present. 
While  the  form  and  language  is  less  correct  than  the  ones 
already  given,  it  is  still  typical  and  full  of  enthusiasm.  It 
is  nearer  the  average  attitude  of  the  great  majority  of 
members. 

Sir.  John  W.  S, 

Dear  Editor : — Please  allow  me  space  in  your  paper  for  me 
to  say  that  Belmont  Lodge  No.  51  held  its  memorial  service 
on  the  above  date,  with  the  grand  lecturer  P.  C.  D.  with  us 
on  his  official  visit.  Making  his  lecture  and  helping  us  to 
conduct  the  service.  The  lodge  was  called  to  order  by  Sir. 
J.  W.,  C.  C.  after  the  members  had  been  seated  with  their 
badges  on,  then  Sir.  Whitney  explaining  to  the  lodge  the  cause 
of  the  extra  session,  that  it  was  to  pay  the  loss  due  respect 
to  our  lamented  an  sainted  S.  P.  C.,  S.  W.  Starks,  who  had 
fallen  from  our  ranks  by  the  hand  of  death.  He  then  gave 
the  lodge  into  the  hands  of  Sir.  P.  C.  Dowan,  who  taking  the 
stand.  Then  he  sang  a  hymn.  No  prayer  was  offered  by  Sir. 
John  N.  Pempleton.  Then  the  grand  lecturer  proceeded.  I 
am  glad  to  say  that  never  was  a  man  gifted  as  that  man,  for 
taking  his  text  from  the  5th.  chapter  of  Ephesians,  the  i4th 
verse,  "  Words  Was  Wake  thou  that  sleep."  He  held  closest 
attention  for  two  hours.  He  taking  that  holy  scripture  and 
men  cried  that  they  was  going  to  wake  up,  the  members  said 
they  was  going  to  wake  up  to  the  sense  of  their  obligation. 
He  had  us  to  know  that  the  order  had  been  ever  since  the 
creating  of  man,  and  would  be  as  long  as  God  would  let  man 


I2g     SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [432 

live  on  the  earth.  Dear  Sirs  I  will  say  that  the  G.  C.  Sir. 
John  W.  H.  did  know  his  business  when  he  appointed  Sir. 
Dowan  for  a  field  man,  for  he  is  a  Pythian  missionary  to  go 
and  carry  the  Pythian  gospel  if  Belmont  Lodge  had  been  a 
Pythian  engine,  Sir  Dowan  would  have  been  the  engineer  to 
blow  the  whistle  at  every  station.  Wake  thou  that  sleep  to 
your  obligation.  Then  he  spoke  along  the  life  and  death  of 
Sir.  S.  W.  Starks  and  made  things  awful  sad  then  closed  his 
talk.  Song  was  sang  by  Sir.  Steve  Tucker  the  prelate  of  his 
Lodge.  Happy  day  when  Jesus  washed  my  sins  away.  Then 
Sir.  John  Pembleton  responded.  Then  song  was  led  by  Sir. 
Dowan,  "  There  is  Rest  for  the  Weary  ".  Then  the  lodge  was 
called  in  secret  prayer  by  the  prelate  for  five  minutes.  Then 
Sir.  Chas.  Wood  spoke  on  the  line  of  Pythianism.  Then  song 
led  by  Sir  Tucker,  "  Let  Us  Walk  in  the  Light  of  God."  Then 
Sir.  C.  Grandison  spoke  on  religious  principles,  saying  that 
he  hoped  to  meet  the  S.  P.  C.  S.  W.  Starks  in  the  kingdom  of 
our  God,  where  we  would  all  sit  in  the  halls  of  heaven  to  part 
no  more.  Song  led  by  Sir.  Dowan,  "  I  will  Follow  Jesus  ". 
Sir  Ben  McCoy  spoke  on  the  death  of  S.  W.  Starks  and  at  the 
meantime  he  cast  the  evergreen  upon  the  alter  of  the  lodge  in 
memory  of  our  sainted  S.  P.  C.  Then  Sir.  John  Whitney, 
C.  C.,  made  the  closing  talk  which  made  things  very  sad  on 
the  death  of  Sir.  Starks.  Then  the  lodge  turned  the  vote  of 
thanks  and  gave  the  grand  sign  in  honor  of  the  grand  lecturer 
and  asked  him  to  come  again.  Then  a  memorial  supper  was 
served  with  bread  and  wine  in  remembrance  of  Sir.  S.  W. 
Starks  that  we  all  hope  to  meet  him  again,  and  feast  with  him 
around  the  banquet  table  with  Jesus  to  hunger  no  more. 

From  observing  the  ceremonies  and  regular  services,  it  is 
seen  that  opportunity  is  given  for  many  individuals  to  par 
ticipate  in  the  exercises.  This  gives  the  greater  degree  of 
satisfaction  and  adds  to  the  total  of  the  social  values  offered 
by  the  lodge.  Ritual  and  ceremony,  ranging  from  simple 
form  to  the  most  elaborate  details  carried  to  ridiculous 


. 


433]  ORGANIZATIONS  AND  SOCIETIES  I2g 

extents,  regalia,  including  hats,  caps,  robes,  collars,  badges, 
buttons,  tassels,  spears  and  swords,  with  gavels  at  the  desk, 
these  features  are  easily  the  popular  ones.  And  like  them 
are  the  officers  with  their  titles.  There  are  grand  presi 
dents,  vice-presidents,  secretaries,  inspectors,  counsellors 
and  legal  advisers,  wardens,  marshals,  chaplains,  inner  and 
outer  sentinals,  orators,  speakers,  writers,  with  speciaj  forms 
of  "  great  grand  "  as  often  as  distinction  is  necessary.  Then 
there  are  the  same  officers  who  are  "  supreme  "  and  "  great 
supreme  ",  "  grand  supreme  ",  "  masters  "  and  so  on.  There 
are  "  ladies  "  and  "  gentlemen  ",  "  honorable  ",  "  Sir  "  and 
"  brother  ",  "  sister  ",  "  knights  "  and  so  forth.  Such  offi 
cers  feel  greatly  honored  by  these  offices  and  make  much 
of  them.  They  are  also  honored  by  their  fellow  members 
and  "  given  a  good  time  ". 

The  pride  which  the  negro  leaders  have  in  their 
offices  and  duties  is  noteworthy.  Perhaps  they  feel  much 
of  social  self-feeling  but,  nevertheless,  this  constitutes  a 
peculiar  factor.  A  principal  of  the  city  colored  high 
school  has  his  letter-heads  prepared  with  "  ORATOR  OF 
THE  MOST  WORSHIPFUL  STRINGER  GRAND  LODGE  OF 
ANCIENT,  FREE  AND  ACCEPTED  MASONS  OF  THE  STATE  OF 
MISSISSIPPI  "  in  large  and  bold  lines  across  the  page,  with 
"  Principal  of  Colored  School  "  in  small  letters  in  the  left 
hand  corner.  Others  have  their  photographs  inscribed  on 
the  stationery  with  the  titles  attached.  Nor  are  they  alone 
in  valuing  their  positions.  The  lay  members  as  a  rule  put 
absolute  confidence  in  them.  A  single  leader  often  domin 
ates  an  entire  conference  by  his  eloquence  and  thus  secures 
passage  for  measures  which  suit  his  own  interests.  More 
frequently  two  or  three  or  perhaps  a  half  dozen  men  domin 
ate  the  entire  delegation.  Their  claims  are  enormous,  but 
they  are  rarely  doubted.  Field  leaders  and  grand  secre 
taries  are  usually  presented  with  a  "  purse  "  at  each  lodge 


130     SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [434 

and  they  are  entertained  royally.  Gifts  of  more  value  are 
presented  to  higher  officers.  In  the  report  of  Biennial  Min 
utes  of  the  Supreme  Lodge  of  the  Independent  Order  of  the 
Sons  and  Daughters  of  Jacob  of  America  is  the  following 
"  Preface  "  and  "  Presentation  "  details  concerning  such 
a  gift: 

Hon.  Supreme  Grand  Master,  and  friends  of  this  honored 
Guest : 

On  the  25th.  of  October  1906,  while  all  was  busily  planning 
the  future  destiny  of  our  Order,  in  session  of  the  Supreme 
Grand  Lodge  which  convened  in  the  city  of  Greenville,  Sister 
Lettie  J.  Walker,  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Grand  Directors, 
still  and  deeply  thinking  as  she  is,  saw  very  wisely  what  a 
beacon  light  of  wisdom  the  Sons  and  Daughters  of  Jacob  of 
America  has  as  its  official  head;  and  how  wisely  and  honestly 
he  has  brought  the  Order  of  Jacobs  from  a  ridiculous  to  a 
sublime  standard,  that  a  spirit  of  highest  appreciation  was 
prompted  to  the  extent  that  a  resolution  was  presented  by  her 
to  the  Supreme  Grand  Lodge  requesting  the  presentation  of  a 
diamond  costing  $150.00  to  our  Supreme  Grand  Master,  as  a 
testimonial  of  our  honor  and  confidence  in  him. 

All  honor  to  Sister  Walker  for  this  beautiful  thought. 

Just  what  the  diamond  stud  actually  cost  is  not  known.  It 
was  presented  as  well  as  bought  by  the  committee  of  ladies. 
Like  the  preacher,  the  negro  leaders  of  the  Lodge  are  popu 
lar  with  the  women.  It  is  not  surprising  that  he  should 
accept  all  favors  and  consider  himself  an  important  factor 
in  his  race  and  a  great  man  of  the  hour.  Nor  is  it  surpris 
ing  that  many  negroes  abuse  their  privileges  and  take  un 
due  advantages  of  their  less  watchful  brethren.  With  the 
the  chief  officers  of  the  grand  lodges,  this  abuse  is  chiefly 
in  the  form  of  exorbitant  demands  and  misuse  of  money  and 
power  given  into  their  keeping.  Few  peoples  have  been 


435]  ORGANIZATIONS  AND  SOCIETIES  I^I 

able  to  furnish  more  skilful  tyrants,  if  one  is  to  judge  by 
observable  data.  The  officers  of  the  subordinate  lodges 
manifest  their  abuse  of  office  in  the  same  manner,  only  to 
a  smaller  degree.  Their  chief  fault  and  abuse  lies  in  their 
over-bearing  disposition  toward  fellow  members  and  those 
who  wish  to  apply  for  membership.  Such  leaders  are  often 
governed  wholly  by  personal  motives  and  refuse  naember- 
ship  to  any  whom  they  dislike.  Consequently  much  strife 
arises  and  not  infrequently  ends  in  more  serious  difficulties, 
some  of  which  are  referred  to  the  Supreme  Orders.  Again, 
the  officers  of  subordinate  lodges  are  boisterous  and  severe 
in  their  rulings  at  regular  business  sessions,  often  abusing 
and  belittling  members  of  the  order,  for  the  simple  reason 
that  they  are  in  a  position  to  do  so,  and  wish  to  show  their 
authority ;  they  thus  feel  their  positions  more  weighty.  Few 
more  ridiculous  acts  could  be  imagined.  This  state  of  af 
fairs,  however,  is  not  entirely  neglected  by  the  supreme 
officers.  In  a  conclusion  to  his  annual  address  before  the 
Session  of  the  Grand  Lodge  of  United  Brothers  and  Sisters 
of  Benevolence  of  America,  the  Grand  President  said : 

Permit  me  to  note  here  that  we  are  informed  reliable  that  a 
great  many  of  the  Presidents  and  other  officers  of  our  Local 
Societies  are  very  rude  in  their  rulings  and  treatment  of  mem 
bers,  or  in  other  words,  are  of  the  opinion  that  they  are  the 
bosses  of  the  societies  instead  of  the  servants  which  they  are. 
That  state  of  affairs  should  not  exist,  yet  on  the  other  hand 
they  should  be  kind,  obbliging  and  courteous  at  any  and  all 
times  under  the  most  trying  circumstances  to  give  good  and 
wholesome  instructions.  Such  treatment  to  the  most  illiterate, 
boisterous  and  obstreperous  person  will  have  good  effect. 

Again  officers  are  often  elected  without  due  process  and 
then  they  refuse  to  be  governed  by  any  law  save  their  own 
wishes.  One  of  the  chief  violations  of  the  law  is  refusal 


1^2     SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [436 

to  give  bond  for  the  holding  of  money  belonging  to  the 
lodge;  still  they  are  retained  as  officers,  chiefly,  perhaps, 
because  there  are  no  others,  and  because  this  state  of  affairs 
is  quite  common.  Many  other  complaints  are  made  of  local 
officers,  such  as  ignoring  the  rules  and  regulations,  failure 
to  dre^s  properly  and  to  conduct  the  meetings  and  opera 
tions  decently. 

Before  coming  to  a  final  surhmary  of  the  features  which 
are  determining  factors  in  the  negro  fraternal  organizations, 
it  is  well  to  note  certain  general  conditions  under  which  they 
operate  and  the  general  relation  fraternal  circles  bear  to 
negro  life  and  opinion.  A  partial  glimpse  of  the  many 
phases  of  the  Lodge  may  be  gained  from  the  facts  cited 
above.  It  is  to  be  expected  that  anything  which  occupies  so 
prominent  a  place  in  the  life  of  a  people  would  be  vastly 
beneficial  to  them  and  would  have  the  support  of  the  lead 
ing  members  of  the  race.  Nor  is  our  expectation  disap 
pointed,  for  a  comparison  of  the  church  membership  rolls 
with  those  of  the  fraternal  orders  shows  that  prominent 
church  leaders  are  in  most  cases  leading  lodge  members. 
The  majority  of  negro  preachers  are  prominent  in  fraternal 
circles.  The  secret  society  finds  its  ablest  advocates  in  the 
teachers  of  the  schools  and  those  prominent  in  negro  busi 
ness  circles.  Practically  the  entire  professional  calling,  in 
cluding  the  few  lawyers  and  physicians,  are  enrolled  as  lead 
ers.  Again,  non-church-members  are  intimately  associated 
with  church  members  both  as  officers  and  as  "  lay  "  mem 
bers  of  the  lodge.  But  while  the  majority  of  the  negroes 
value  the  relations  made  possible  by  the  fraternal  organiza 
tions  more  than  all  others,  there  is  a  minority,  however, 
that  is  agreed  that  the  secret  society  is  fast  becoming  an  evil. 
Close  students  of  the  situation  are  undecided  whether  the 
centre  of  negro  life  is  not  being  shifted  from  the  Church 
to  the  Lodge.  If  such  is  the  case,  it  is  to  be  expected  that 


437]  ORGANIZATIONS  AND  SOCIETIES 

there  would  be  found  serious  objections  to  lodge  life  as  it 
is  now  being  developed.  This  objection  is  maintained 
chiefly  by  certain  negro  preachers,  among  whom  are  some  of 
their  ablest  workers.  The  question  which  must  be  an 
swered,  then,  is :  Does  the  good  overbalance  the  evil  ?  In 
answer  to  this  inquiry,  certain  important  considerations 
should  be  noted. 

The  majority  maintains,  as  may  be  observed  in  rfie  claims 
of  the  secret  orders,  that  through  such  societies  many 
benefits  come  to  the  members  of  the  race  that  are  rendered 
necessary  by  the  conditions  under  which  the  colored  people 
live.  The  lodges  care  for  the  sick,  look  after  unfortunate, 
bury  the  dead,  and  give  funds  to  the  family  of  the  deceased 
members.  In  return  for  this  each  member  pays  only  a 
small  assessment,  entirely  within  his  means,  varying  accord 
ing  to  the  benefits  received.  All  assessments  are  paid  in 
installments,  either  weekly,  monthly  or  quarterly.  The 
dues  for  membership  vary  from  ten  to  twenty-five  cents 
a  week  and  from  ten  cents  to  a  dollar  a  month.  They 
hold  further  that  these  expenses  are  not  draining  upon  the 
Negro  and  return  him  many  times  their  original  value,  and 
that  the  fraternal  order  is  of  practical  benefit  to  the  Negro 
both  in  the  quality  of  service  rendered  and  in  the  methods  of 
collecting  dues;  it  thus  renders  a  racial  service.  It  is  a 
great  consolation  to  the  Negro  to  know  that  he  will  be  buried 
with  proper  ceremonies  and  his  grave  properly  marked. 
This  appeals  to  a  fundamental  principal  in  the  Negro's 
nature;  there  are  few  greater  events  than  the  burial,  and 
none  which  brings  the  community  together  in  more  charac 
teristic  attitude.  The  funeral  is  a  social  event,  for  which 
the  lodge  appropriates  the  necessary  expenses.  Here  the 
religious  trend  of  the  Negro  is  magnified  and  with  praise 
of  the  dead  and  hopes  for  the  future  he  mingles  religious 
fervor  with  morbid  curiosity  and  love  of  display.  But  the 


SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [438 

society  not  only  buries  its  members  but  also  cares  for  them 
while  living.  Many  cases  are  cited  by  the  negroes  of  as 
sistance  rendered  at  the  critical  moment.  Persons,  sick, 
old  and  feeble  have  been  known  to  be  left  alone  to  die  within 
a  short  distance  of  neighbors,  and  were  buried  by  the  town 
authorities.  Nor  were  they  more  destitute  of  friends  before 
they  became  sick  than  are  hundreds  of  negroes  everywhere. 
The  Negro  is  thus  willing  to  admit  the  condition  of  his 
people,  knowing  that  some  obligation  must  be  brought  to 
bear  upon  them  if  they  are  to  become  brotherly  and  sisterly 
in  the  true  sense.  The  lodge  undoubtedly  approximates 
this,  for  the  Negro  regards  the  obligation  placed  upon  him 
by  his  society  as  binding;  no  member  must  lack  burial,  and 
the  sick  committees  go  far  toward  helping  the  helpless. 

Furthermore,  the  negroes  are  a  working  people  and  de 
pend  entirely  upon  their  wages  for  a  livelihood.  They 
have  little  or  no  property  which  would  render  them  funds 
for  the  "  rainy  day  ",  and  are  therefore  helpless  and  de 
pendent  in  times  of  sickness  or  accident.  It  is  essential 
that  the  negro  and  his  family  be  protected  by  his  member 
ship  in  one  or  more  of  the  lodges.  Such  membership  will 
insure  him  against  starvation  and  dire  want,  at  least,  will 
assure  him  of  visits  from  his  people  which  he  would  not 
otherwise  get,  and  render  him  secure  in  a  reasonable  degree. 
No  one  will  deny  that  under  such  conditions  as  the  negroes 
labor  to-day  there  is  urgent  need  for  just  such  organizations 
among  the  negroes.  Again,  in  addition  to  the  relief  fea 
tures  and  the  social  phase  of  the  fraternal  orders,  the  secret 
societies  furnish  the  Negro  a  means  for  united  effort.  It 
satisfies  a  social  want,  which  is  unceasing  in  its  demand ;  it 
satisfies  an  imperative  demand  for  benefits,  and  it  satisfies 
the  craving  of  the  Negro  to  exert  his  racial  and  individual 
ambitions.  Here  he  may  rule  his  own  affairs  and  plan  his 
own  business;  he  is  more  nearly  united  here  than  elsewhere. 


439]  ORGANIZATIONS  AND  SOCIETIES 

He  may  discuss  subjects  of  interest  to  his  race;  he  becomes 
informed  of  events  and  discusses  them  without  the  white 
man's  knowing  it.  The  rapidity  with  which  information  is 
diffused  throughout  a  negro  community  is  scarcely  less  than 
marvelous,  especially  when  the  news  relates  to  matters  of 
racial  interest.  The  lodge  is  a  means  whereby  this  inter 
change  of  information  is  facilitated;  this  is  an  essential 
benefit,  according  to  the  Negro's  ablest  advocates.'  Again, 
the  Negro  teaches  himself  to  speak,  to  debate,  to  become  an 
"  orator  "  in  the  halls  of  his  secret  society.  He  learns  the 
rules  and  regulations  of  his  society  as  he  learns  nothing  else. 
He  reads  or  listens  to  the  news  of  his  lodge  paper  when  he 
would  otherwise  not  care  for  the  reading.  He  is  thus  be 
ing  educated  slowly  and  this  training  appeals  to  him  when 
no  other  school  interests  him.  So  the  secret  societies,  com 
bined,  offer  an  effective  medium  through  which  the  negroes 
can  move  with  facility  and  satisfaction.  They  offer  pride 
and  enthusiasm.  Here  are  found  opportunities  for  organi 
zation  and  business.  They  may  organize  and  drill  after  the 
manner  of  armies.  Their  children  are  trained  for  future 
service  and  their  women  are  united  with  their  men.  The 
lodge  more  than  anything  else  offers  means  for  the  uniting 
of  communities,  counties,  states  and  the  negroes  of  the  na 
tion.  Such  are  some  of  the  advantages  claimed  by  the 
majority  of  negroes. 

It  is  claimed,  too,  that  the  fraternal  associations  are 
helping  to  solve  the  race  problem.  And  well  might  they 
assist  in  so  great  an  undertaking.  Here  is  opportunity 
for  teaching  honesty  and  diligence;  they  might  teach  for 
bearance  and  persistency  and  the  doctrine  of  damnation  to 
criminals  and  those  who  shield  them,  and  that  no  criminal 
should  have  a  place  in  the  brotherhood  of  associations.  Here 
better  than  any  other  place  they  can  teach  true  race  pride 
and  encourage  honest  endeavor  toward  proper  advance- 


SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [440 

ment  in  all  lines.  But  do  they  do  this?  It  is  encouraging 
to  note  that  many  orders  draw  up  and  endorse  fitting  reso 
lutions  at  their  general  meetings  and  these  are  given  to  the 
public  in  good  faith  in  the  great  majority  of  instances. 
They  are  the  result  of  proper  enthusiasm.  Such  resolutions 
at  bQth  general  assemblies  and  local  orders,  backed  by  the 
members  will  assist  much  in  bettering  the  present  conditions 
that  exist  irrthe  relations  between  the  races.  They  will  assist 
greatly  in  raising  the  standard  of  civilization  among  the 
negroes.  Recent  utterances  of  the  leaders  at  these  meetings 
have  voiced  the  proper  sentiment. 

"  Above  all  the  Negro  must  uphold  law  and  order.'''  "  We 
are  willing  to  join  the  better  class  of  white  people  at  any 
time  in  putting  down  the  criminal  class."  "  Tell  it  so  all  the 
world  may  hear — print  it  in  the  heaven's  blue,  so  that  he 
who  runs  may  read  it,  that  the  negro  of  this  land  will  frown 
down,  cry  down,  hunt  down  and  strike  down  this  crime  and 
these  criminals,  until  not  one  shall  be  left  in  all  the  land,  and 
a  black  face  be  a  badge  of  truth,  of  peace,  of  protection  to 
innocence."  "  It  is  our  duty  to  seek  the  haunts  and  the  in 
fluences  that  produce  crime  and  criminals,  with  the  whip  of  the 
law  and  the  gospel  of  righteousness  scourge  them  until  vicious 
idleness  shall  give  place  to  virtuous  industrial  intelligence,  and 
thus  purge  ourselves  and  wash  away  the  foul  stains  of  dishonor 
from  a  glorious  record  transmitted  to  us  by  our  fathers,  al 
though  but  poor  slaves."  "  We  cannot  afford  to  apologize  for 
crime — we  cannot  afford  to  sympathize  with  the  criminals. 
We  can  only  afford  to  do  right  and  fear  not  before  God  and 
the  laws  of  our  country.  All  of  this  we  can  do.  We  can  be 
come  the  little  leaven  that  shall  leaven  the  whole  lump;  the 
grain  of  salt  which  preserves  your  whole  community,  your 
ward,  county,  state,  until  your  whole  community  becomes 
known  as  a  center  of  health-giving  energy  for  the  race." 
"  What  a  negro  will  be  depends  entirely  upon  what  his  attitude 


441  ]  ORGANIZATIONS  AND  SOCIETIES 

is  toward  himself  as  well  as  toward  other  people.  The  negro 
must  develop  in  his  own  sphere  as  a  negro,  after  his  own  na 
ture,  and  then  he  will  succeed.  He  should  not  attempt  to  get 
away  from  his  black  skin,  discard  his  kinks,  be  ashamed  of 
his  physical  features  in  general.  But  let  him  strengthen  his 
face  on  the  inside,  whiten  his  face  through  his  heart,  adorn 
his  physical  features  through  his  intelligence,  magnify  and 
exalt  himself  in  the  recognition  of  the  civilized  world.  He 
will  be  respected  in  proportion  as  he  respects  himself." 

These  are  commendable  utterances  and  should  the  inward 
meaning  be  greater  than  the  outward  form,  these  orders 
would  deservedly  win  a  permanent  place  in  the  life  of  the 
Negro. 

But  the  Fraternal  Orders  must  meet  certain  serious  ob 
jections  which  are  offered  by  members  of  both  races.  Re 
ference  has  already  been  made  to  one  of  these.  The  Lodge 
is  interfering  seriously  with  the  Church  and  conflicting  with 
many  of  its  services.  A  minority  of  leaders  among  the 
negroes  hold  the  view  that  the  fraternal  organizations  are 
for  this  reason  an  evil,  but  a  minority  which  includes  many 
of  the  most  sincere  men  and  some  of  the  clearest  thinkers, 
who  are  themselves  members  of  fraternal  organizations. 
TEe  greater  part  of  this  number  is  to  be  found  among  the 
pastors  of  the  churches.  The  charge  is  thus  stated  by  one : 

The  evil  effect  of  secret  societies  upon  the  church  of  God  here 
in  the  South  is  becoming  to  be  a  serious  problem.  We  should 
study  this  problem  closely  and  prayerfully.  In  the  first  place 
the  Christian  people  and  members  of  our  different  denomina 
tional  churches  have  gone  into  these  societies  mixed  in  such  a 
way  with  sinners  and  whiskey  drinkers  and  with  women  whose 
garments  have  been  dragged  in  the  ditches  of  immoral  despair 
and  degradation  until  you  can't  tell  one  from  the  other.  Even 
this  degraded  sinner  thinks  himself  as  good  as  the  Christian, 


SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [442 

consequently  the  Christian  is  forced  by  his  obligation  to  call 
that  drunkard  and  whiskey-head  brother.  Hence  the  standard 
of  religion  is  lowered  and  the  sinner  exalted  in  all  his  un- 
repented-for  sins;  therefore  both  are  injured.  Come  out  from 
among  them  and  be  ye  not  partakers  of  their  sins.  Many  of 
these  little  dupe  societies  give  public  balls  and  disgraceful 
dances  to  advertise  their  society  interests.  In  many  cases 
sinner  men  and  women  are  the  "  head  bursters  "  of  these 
societies  and  the  Christian  people  who  join  them  must  come  in 
at  their  command  and  do  whatever  they  say,  right  or  wrong. 
If  it  is  to  violate  religious  principle,  the  chief  has  said  it  and 
his  orders  must  be  obeyed.  Christians  should  lead  sinners  in 
all  things  and  in  all  places  until  they  are  led  to  the  Cross  of 
Christ.  Christians,  open  your  eyes  and  let  not  the  blind  lead 
you.  In  nearly  all  of  these  societies  the  Holy  Bible  is  used 
and  sinners  are  to  handle  that  sacred  book  whose  hands  and 
hearts  are  unwashed.  This  seems  to  be  almost  sacriligious  and 
downright  profanity.  We  must  not  be  ignorant  of  these  awful 
sins  that  are  confronting  us  in  our  everyday  life.  This  is  a 
serious  problem.  Sinners  and  halfway  Christians  are  now 
saying  that  their  reason  for  supporting  so  many  of  these  little 
dupe  societies  is  that  they  will  do  for  them  what  the  church 
will  not  do,  namely :  bury  them  and  give  them  sick  benefits ; 
they  have  an  endowment  for  them  or  their  family.  In  answer 
to  this  trashy  saying,  let  me  say  this :  if  they  will  put  all  the 
money  in  the  church  that  they  put  in  the  secret  societies  the 
church  will  be  able  and  will  bury  them  when  they  die,  give 
them  sick  benefits  when  sick,  and  care  for  the  widows  left  and 
educate  and  care  for  the  children  left  as  orphans.  Put  all  of 
your  grand  lodge  money  and  expenses  to  and  from  all  your 
supreme  lodges  in  a  common  church  treasury  and  the  church 
will  meet  your  every  demand  and  need  at  much  less  expense. 

Another  shameful  evil  is  this:  Our  Class  Meetings  are 
growing  dull  with  but  little  Spiritual  fervor,  because  the  mem 
bers  are  all  gone  to  meet  their  society.  They  cannot  go  to  the 
class  meeting  because  Brother  or  Sister  So  and  So  will  fine  me. 


443]  ORGANIZATIONS  AND  SOCIETIES 

Therefore  the  class  leader  who  tries  to  be  faithful  must  go  and 
lead  the  benches — a  sad  spectacle  indeed :  The  prayer  meetings 
are  nearly  all  dead  because  deserted  by  the  members  gone  to  the 
lodge,  the  prayer  meeting  having  to  be  upon  his  lodge  night ; 
therefore  he  shows  to  the  Church  and  to  his  God  that  he  loves 
the  lodge  better  than  communion  with  God.  The  Ladies'  and 
Stewards'  meetings,  the  Quarterly  conferences,  and  even  our 
revival  meetings  are  all  affected  by  these  societies.  A  brother 
or  sister  will  tell  you  at  once  that  they  must  meet  their  lodge 
or  had  to  go  to  their  lodge.  These  are  serious  sins  and  a  sad 
problem  now  before  the  church  of  God.  Must  this  state  of 
affairs  continue  to  exist?  or  shall  we  now  in  the  name  of 
Christ  stop  and  reform?  God  grant  that  our  people  will  stop 
before  it  is  too  late.  I  appeal  to  my  race:  Stop  now  and 
return  to  God,  else  we  perish  and  the  societies  will  perish 
with  us.  Some  people  are  so  ignorant  as  to  say  that  the  so 
ciety  is  as  good  as  the  church.  Oh,  my,  what  ignorance:  No 
one  would  say  that  but  a  poor,  blind,  ignorant  sinner  whose 
eyes  are  blind  with  scales.  I  have  been  criticised  for  writing 
my  convictions  on  these  things,  but  I  wish  to  say  to  the  public 
that  I  am  paid  a  salary.  The  people  I  serve  pay  me  what 
they  promise  and  I  am  not  on  a  beg,  and  I  ask  for  nothing 
more  than  a  comfortable  support.  I  write  this  because  I  see 
the  awful  pit  into  which  my  poor  people  are  being  thrown, 
duped  and  dumped.  Now,  Brother  Preachers,  let  us  return 
to  our  pulpits  and  give  ourselves  wholly  to  the  service  of  God 
and  the  salvation  of  the  sinners,  the  sick,  the  dying,  the  poor, 
the  needy,  the  widows  and  orphans  need  our  attention  daily. 
Get  the  people  to  come  back  to  the  church.  Let  us  have  a 
great  revival  of  religion. 

Many  pastors  have  stated  privately  the  opposition  already 
expressed.  A  single  statement  will  be  given : 

Against  these  societies  we  have  our  churches  whose  total 
membership  is  less  than  half  the  total  membership  of  the  so- 


I4o     SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [444 

cieties.  From  my  own  experience,  I  can  safely  say  that  they 
hinder  the  church  in  every  way.  I  was  compelled  to  move  my 
official  board  from  a  week  night  and  hold  it  on  Sunday  after 
noon  as  there  is  not  a  single  week  night  in  the  month  that  some 
of  the  official  members  are  not  called  by  some  of  the  societies 
and  they  almost  invariably  go  to  the  call  of  the  society  when 
they  will  not  to  the  call  of  the  church. 

It  is  charged  by  the  whites  that  these  societies  are  hot 
beds  of  vice  and  that  incendiary  views  are  promoted;  that 
they  not  only  do  not  help  to  solve  the  race  problem,  but 
daily  make  the  situation  worse.  It  is  charged  that  these 
meetings  are  often  plotting  places  where  groups  of  ne 
groes  devise  plans  and  encourage  thoughts  against  the  white 
man;  that  they  go  beyond  race  pride  and  interest  to  race 
antagonism.  In  answer  to  these  charges  it  must  be  said 
that  some  of  these -meetings  do  discuss  improper  subjects, 
and  that  indecent  pictures  are  sometimes  hung  on  the  walls, 
and  that  there  is  little  or  no  restraint  upon  criminal  instinct. 
It  is  true  that  in  many  cases  the  tendency  is  toward  unrest 
in  matters  pertaining  to  the  relations  between  the  races.  But 
in  the  ordinary  meetings  in  the  smaller  communities  this  is 
not  true.  Except  in  particular  sections  and  under  particu 
lar  circumstances,  there  are  not  the  agreed  councils  against 
the  white  man ;  many  of  these  meetings  of  groups  of  mem 
bers  are  purely  proper  enjoyment  of  their  own  personal 
rights  and  pleasures.  The  lodge  meeting  is  naturally 
regarded  as  a  place  where  all  matters  may  be  discussed  but 
for  the  most  part  the  glaring  headlines  in  the  newspapers 
describing  negro  lodges  as  storehouses  for  ammunition  and 
plotting  places  against  the  whites,  are  written  by  men  who 
know  little  of  the  real  facts  about  the  Negro  and  who  are 
willing  to  distort  the  truth  for  the  sake  of  a  sensational 
report.  But  it  should  be  remembered  that  so  long  as  any 


445]  ORGANIZATIONS  AND  SOCIETIES  I4I 

number  of  lodges  make  a  practice  of  such  agitation  as  has 
been  mentioned,  the  above  charge  will  be  true.  Perhaps 
there  is  yet  a  noticeable  fruitage  of  that  old  organization 
known  as  the  Union  League  which  followed  the  war  having 
as  its  basic  principle  the  consolidation  of  the  negroes  against 
the  whites.  There  are  traces  and  remnants  in  many  of  the 
Southern  towns  and  passing  talk  of  organizations  similar 
to  the  Before-day  clubs  which  regularly  train  their  mem 
bers  in  incendiary  motives ;  which  prescribe  immediate  death 
as  a  penalty  for  divulging  the  secrets  of  the  organization. 
These  are  a  menace  to  all  good  societies  and  the  sooner  all 
traces  of  such  groups  are  obliterated  the  better  it  will  be  for 
all  concerned.  There  are  many  negroes  who  advocate  ex 
treme  measures  in  their  excitement,  and  they  easily  obtain 
a  following.  Such  negroes  are  doing  their  race  more  dam 
age  than  can  be  eradicated.  And  on  the  other  hand  the 
misguided  doctrinaires  and  the  greedy  fools  who  instill  in 
cendiary  ideas  into  the  minds  of  the  negroes,  regardless  of 
the  wreck  and  carnage  which  must  follow,  are  the  leaders 
most  dangerous  of  all  to  the  race.  It  is  of  prime  importance 
that  the  negroes  be  free  at  all  times  from  all  appearance  of 
evil  in  this  respect.  The  Federation  of  Women's  Clubs,  if 
they  desire  to  accomplish  what  they  profess,  should  keep 
this  tremendous  fact  in  mind  and  stop  the  present-day  ten 
dency  toward  unrest,  which  is  prominent  in  many  of  the 
secret  societies  of  which  women  constitute  the  membership. 
If  they  will  assist  their  men  in  substantial  achievement, 
they  will,  among  many  other  things,  see  that  agitation 
against  the  whites  need  not  be  a  characteristic  feature  of 
their  local  meetings.  The  height  of  folly  and  idiotic 
thoughtlessness  is  to  be  found  in  such  agitations;  putting 
aside  the  purposes  of  the  benefit  societies,  and  not  knowing 
that  they  are  utterly  incapable  of  discussing  any  revolution- 


I42     SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [446 

ary  measures  relating  to  labor  or  any  other  topic,  these 
groups  bring  untold  permanent  hurt  to  the  race. 

Other  serious  objections  are  offered.  The  lodge  is  a 
waste  of  time  and  energy  for  the  negroes.  It  takes  them 
away  from  home  and  work  and  renders  them  useless  for 
anything  else,  while  the  lodge  itself  offers  no  permanent 
substitute.  The  lodge  is  an  unreasonable  drain  upon  the 
Negro's  money.  He  must  attend  the  local  meetings,  pay 
the  assessments  for  membership,  local  extras  imposed  by 
the  whim  of  some  tyrant  leader,  the  extra  fees  for  the  su 
preme  and  grand  lodges,  and  the  dozens  of  other  expenses 
involved  from  time  to  time  in  regalia  and  special  functions. 
Representatives  must  attend  the  general  sessions  and  for 
this  they  must  have  certain  requirements  and  must  pay  their 
expenses  to  and  from  the  convention.  Foolish  gifts  and 
appropriations  are  made  on  every  hand;  the  expenses  of 
these  must  be  met,  and  there  is  no  material  benefit  from 
them.  The  handling  of  money  and  the  power  to  make  as 
sessments  encourages  the  spirit  of  dishonesty  and  graft 
among  the  negroes.  The  present  methods  of  the  lodge  en 
courage,  to  the  fullest  extent,  superficiality  and  display,  the 
very  things  which  need  to  be  regulated  among  the  negroes. 
While  the  rules  and  regulations  are  good,  there  is  little  con 
formity  to  them,  hence  the  increased  disregard  for  drill, 
order  and  systematic  action.  In  fine,  the  lodge  is  the  great 
est  of  those  factors  which  lead  the  Negro  to  neglect  the  sub 
stantial  groundwork  of  his  economic  and  moral  salvation. 
It  shifts  his  efforts  from  the  detailed  accumulation  of  prop 
erty  and  the  attainment  of  individual  worth  to  the  popular 
general  achievements.  It  leads  him  to  magnify  and  over 
value  the  outside  without  due  consideration  of  essential 
qualities. 

Again,  however,  it  is  but  just  to  give  the  negro's  interests 
full  consideration.  Even  though  the  defects  seem  much  in 


447]  ORGANIZATIONS  AND  SOCIETIES 

the  majority,  it  is  but  fair  to  sum  up  the  better  qualities 
and  the  purposes  for  which  the  societies  are  founded.  The 
constitution  and  by-laws  of  the  several  societies  differ  only 
in  details  and  are  for  the  most  part  very  much  alike.  The 
length  varies  from  ten  to  fifteen  thousand  words,  accord 
ing  as  particulars  are  stressed  or  features  are  added.  There 
are  great  possibilities  in  the  fraternal  order  conducted  ac 
cording  to  the  constitution  and  by-laws.  All  of ''the  so 
cieties  incorporate  in  their  requirements  for  admission  to 
membership  that  persons  shall  be  moral  and  upright,  dealing 
in  no  illegal  business  and  of  good  reputation.  The  purposes 
of  the  orders  are  thus  seen  to  be  of  the  highest  order  and 
would  seem  to  be  the  exact  essentials  for  the  race.  Reli 
gious  devotion  is  an  important  feature.  Their  societies  are 
devoted  to  many  virtues.  One  holds  that  "  In  union  there  is 
strength  "  another,  "  At  the  bar  of  universal  justice  right 
reigns  supreme  " ;  another,  is  devoted  to  "  friendship,  love 
and  truth,"  while  still  another  is  devoted  to  "  Virtue,  Pur 
ity,  Honesty  and  Prosperity."  Others  are  devoted  avow 
edly  to  the  same  purposes  and  incorporate  the  best  senti 
ments  possible  in  their  mottoes.  For  instance,  take  the 
closing  ceremony  for  the  laying  of  the  corner  stone  as  an 
example  of  high  and  noble  purpose  expressed  in  words : 

In  the  name  of  virtue  I  scatter  this  earth  on  this  stone  typical 
of  the  moral  excellence  and  charity  of  our  Order  and  as  a 
reminder  that  we  are  of  the  dust  and  to  dust  we  shall  return. 
In  the  name  of  purity  I  sow  this  grain  in  this  earth  typical 
of  the  manner  members  of  our  Order  who  are  of  themselves 
free  from  dirt  enter  walks  of  life  and  force  moral  cleanness 
upon  men.  I  in  the  name  of  honesty  and  to  promote  pros 
perity  sprinkle  this  earth  and  this  grain  with  water,  may  the 
favors  of  God  rest  and  be  daily  with  the  people  of  this  build 
ing  and  those  of  this  community  as  they  go  into  abide  within 


144     SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [448 

and  pass  out  of  its  portals.  As  the  moments  of  time  pass 
away  may  all  men  especially  all  Jacobs  love,  worship,  and 
adore  Thee,  and  the  four  principles  of  Jacobism,  virtue,  purity, 
honesty,  and  prosperity,  hold  in  esteem  the  name  and  teaching 
of  God. 

And  indeed  many  of  the  local  leaders  profess  to  rule  by 
standards  of  morality  and  claim  that  they  expel  or  suspend 
members  who  are  unworthy  of  the  lodge.  As  a  fact  the 
records  show  that  many  are  actually  suspended.  Reproof 
is  most  common  for  violating  the  laws  of  the  order,  for  mis 
appropriation  of  funds,  for  non-payment  of  dues,  for  im 
morality,  for  unlawful  co-habitation,  for  disturbing  har 
mony  of  order,  for  theft,  for  fighting,  the  time  of  suspension 
varying  from  two  weeks  to  twenty-five  years.  Expulsion 
occurred  for  murder,  theft,  receiving  money  on  false  pre 
tense,  misappropriation  of  lodge  funds,  unlawful  co-habita 
tion,  and  one  case  was  recorded  of  expulsion  for  ninety-nine 
years  for  burglary.  Many  of  these  names  are  published, 
and  the  Negro  has  no  sympathy  or  mercy  when  he  once  be 
gins  upon  an  unfortunate  brother. 

Attention  should  be  called  to  the  Federation  of  Colored 
Women's  Clubs  which  holds  an  annual  meeting,  in  much 
the  same  way  as  do  the  whites.  \Vhile  it  would  seem  that 
little  practical  work  is  done  by  these  women,  it  is  necessary 
to  note  the  better  side  of  their  work.  Here  enthusiasm  is 
as  evident  as  at  the  other  clubs  and  they  rise  for  the  mo 
ment  "  above  the  petty  affairs  of  the  world."  They  might 
well  do  a  great  work  under  better  environment;  perhaps 
the  value  of  their  labors  is  not  felt  and  will  in  the  end  work 
much  good.  They  are  not  excelled  by  the  fraternal  or 
ganizations,  at  least  in  the  expression  of  noble  purposes. 
The  following  is  a  statement  given  out  from  the  state  meet 
ing  of  Mississippi : 


ORGANIZATIONS  AND  SOCIETIES 

These  women  with  human  hearts  and  souls  that  reach  up  to 
glorify  a  pure  Creator  are  being  awakened  to  a  moral  and 
true  virtuous  consciousness  that  has  been  lying  dead  more  than 
two  hundred  years.  The  colored  women  of  the  state  met  in 
convention  declaring  to  the  world  that  Negro  woman  stands 
as  high  and  firm  for  true  moral  virtue  as  any  other  woman 
that  lives.  The  meeting  was  so  enthusiastic  that  every  woman 
that  was  present  wished  that  her  absent  sister  were  $iere.  It 
was  an  encouragement  to  every  struggling  sister  for  true 
womanhood  to  meet  others  of  her  kind.  No  class  of  persons 
could  be  more  elated  than  Negro  men  to  know  that  ere  long 
they  will  not  be  scorned  because  of  the  immorality  of  their 
women.  Many  a  young  lady  was  made  virtuously  strong  in 
that  meeting  and  each  would  do  untold  good  should  she  go 
back  to  her  home  and  community  and  there  be  a  shining  light 
among  the  others  in  an  attractive  way.  There  can  be  no  better 
way  of  establishing  virtue  among  both  women  and  men  than 
through  the  medium  of  the  Federation. 

If  this  were  only  true  and  if  practical  lives  could  only  bear 
out  the  enthusiastic  word  testimony,  how  rapidly  would  the 
race  begin  to  rise.  It  is  thus  seen  that  the  outward  pur 
poses  of  the  Negro  organizations  are  of  the  right  sort. 
What  then  is  lacking? 

What  is  a  true  estimate  of  the  Negro  fraternal  organiza 
tion  and  benevolent  society  ?  What  accounts  for  their  mar 
velous  success  and  growth?  Wherein  do  they  fail  in  fun 
damentals  and  essentials  and  how  can  they  be  made  better  ? 
A  proper  estimate  is  scarcely  possible  with  the  data  in  hand 
and  at  this  stage  of  their  development.  It  may  be  well, 
however,  to  note  the  essential  characteristics  of  the  main 
operations.  The  outside  student  is  astonished  at  the  re 
markable  benefits  paid  by  the  insurance  and  benevolent  so 
cieties.  How  can  they  make  and  sustain  such  claims,  even 
with  double  the  amount  of  assessments  charged  for  mem- 


I46     SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [450 

bership?  And  yet  few  claims  are  unpaid  and  few  instances 
have  occurred  of  failure  of  the  society.  And  this  is  in  the 
face  of  the  undisputed  fact  that  many  funds  are  used  by  the 
chief  officers  and  others  are  badly  managed  and  often  lost 
in  a  business  project.  The  officers  are  paid  good  salaries, 
ranging  from  four  hundred  to  seventeen  hundred  dollars 
per  annum.  A  number  of  records  show  that  amounts  vary 
ing  from  one  hundred  to  fifteen  hundred  dollars  have  been 
misapprpopriated.  How  then  does  the  lodge  meet  its  de 
mands?  In  the  first  place,  the  first  assessments  and  the 
regular  membership  fees  are  only  a  relative  part  of  the  de 
mands.  Reference  has  already  been  made  to  the  numerous 
extras  that  are  demanded  constantly.  Fines  from  subor 
dinate  lodges  go  to  swell  the  total  amount.  Charters  are 
sold  at  from  five  to  fifty  dollars;  seals  range  from  two  to 
ten  dollars  and  every  lodge  is  required  to  have  one.  The 
official  organs  in  some  instances  assist  in  raising  this  money. 
From  the  beginning  of  the  year  to  its  end,  the  poor  negro 
lodge  member  is  beset  with  calls  for  money  on  all  hands. 
In  the  second  place,  perhaps  one-half  of  the  members  who 
join  the  orders  do  not  remain  in  good  standing  long  enough 
to  receive  the  benefits  therefrom.  As  their  enthusiasm 
wanes  and  times  become  harder,  they  allow  their  dues  to 
lapse  and  thus  forfeit  what  they  have  already  paid.  They 
thus  receive  no  benefits  and  cause  the  supreme  lodge  no 
outlay,  while  at  the  same  time  they  have  contributed  much 
to  its  support.  These  funds  remain  in  the  treasury.  While 
the  total  membership  of  the  lodge  is  usually  on  the  increase, 
it  is  quite  a  different  membership  each  year.  The  field 
workers  keep  enthusiasm  up  from  place  to  place  and  gain 
new  members.  And  almost  as  large  a  number  of  renewals 
is  made  each  year  as  of  new  members.  Such  members  pay 
extra  assessments  for  the  privilege  of  renewing,  which  also 
helps  to  increase  the  treasury  fund.  Again,  many  of  the 


451  ]  ORGANIZATIONS  AND  SOCIETIES 

lodges  provide  that,  when  they  are  unable  to  meet  the  pay 
ment  to  the  beneficiaries  of  the  deceased,  a  pro-rata  assess 
ment  is  made  upon  each  member,  thus  insuring  the  amount. 
Perhaps  one-half  of  the  societies  are  "  mutual  "  in  this  re 
spect  and  are  governed  according  to  the  jurisdiction  of 
their  leaders.  In  this  way  and  by  combining  all  the  forces, 
the  negro  lodge  pays  its  insurance  and  benefits  wjth  com 
parative  ease. 

The  question  naturally  arises  as  to  the  degree  to  which 
the  purposes  of  the  Lodge  as  set  forth  in  the  constitution 
and  by-laws  are  adhered  to  in  the  practical  working  of  the 
lodges.  And  the  question  is  both  important  and  difficult. 
The  majority  of  subordinate  lodges  are  wholly  unable  to 
interpret  the  constitution  and  by-laws  as  they  should  be 
known.  They  are  rarely  a  practical  factor  as  a  whole;  cer 
tain  parts  are  learned  as  favorites  and  the  local  lodge  sup 
plies  the  rest  according  to  its  own  pleasure.  Thus  it  is  with 
the  organization  of  lodges,  the  giving  of  bond  for  the  offi 
cers,  and  the  receiving  and  retaining  of  members.  The 
average  negro  is  incompetent  to  enact  any  of  the  require 
ments  strictly  and  continually.  He  may  do  so  for  a  few 
meetings,  but  he  soon  grows  careless.  Consequently  the 
headquarters  must  needs  send  constant  threats  and  warn 
ings  in  order  to  keep  the  lodges  going  at  all.  And  too 
often,  the  supreme  officers  themselves  are  equally  careless 
and  incompetent,  caring  only  for  the  general  appearance 
and  the  possibility  of  getting  as  much  money  for  the  lodge  as 
possible.  In  fine,  the  evidence  shows  that  the  great  ma 
jority  of  irregularities  are  unnoticed ;  regulations  are  thus  a 
farce.  So  it  is  with  the  moral  influence  which  the  lodge 
exercises  over  the  community.  While  cases  are  tried  and 
members  are  actually  suspended,  the  great  majority  go  un 
noticed.  Personal  dislike  and  malice,  jealousy  and  the  sense 
of  superiority  have  much  to  do  with  the  officer's  action. 


I4g     SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [452 

The  matter  may  be  stated  by  saying  that  principles  are  sub 
ordinated  to  an  occasion,  and  as  a  moral  factor  in  practice 
are  worth  little.  Like  the  church,  in  practical  life,  the 
lodge  excuses  the  criminal  instead  of  raising  the  moral 
standard.  There  is  strife  and  discord  abundant  in  the  in 
ternal  workings  of  the  lodge.  Here  again,  the  poor  Negro 
must  battle  with  his  inheritance  and  with  his  environment. 
He  follows  the  lines  of  least  resistance  and  his  battle  is  lost. 
Like  the  problem  of  the  home,  church  and  school,  the  prob 
lem  of  the  lodge  may  be  explained  by  saying  that  the  maxi 
mum  good,  which  might  come  from  these  organizations 
under  better  circumstances,  is  turned  into  evil  or  at  least 
the  minimum  good  by  the  overwhelming  odds  of  environ 
ment.  The  Negro  at  his  present  stage  cannot  help  his 
superficiality  and  love  of  display. 

Can  the  Negro  begin  to  apply  himself  through  the  medium 
of  his  societies  to  the  individual  and  home?  Can  he  learn 
that  he  must  solve  the  fundamental  problems  of  his  race 
on  a  small  scale  rather  than  long  for  world-conquest?  Is 
he  willing  to  face  the  situation,  give  up  his  superficiality 
and  devote  himself  to  the  betterment  of  his  condition?  Is 
he  willing  to  take  the  problems  one  by  one  and  meet  them 
face  to  face?  One  of  the  negro  leaders  sets  forth  a  great 
motto,  "A  Black  Face  a  Badge  of  Truth,  of  Peace,  of  Pro 
tection  to  Innocence  ".  And  well  might  they  strive  for  such 
an  attainment.  In  this  school  of  adults  in  which  the  Negro 
finds  most  of  his  politics,  he  might  also  find  a  great  school 
for  moral  training  where  a  higher  ethical  standard  can  be 
raised.  To  the  Southern  white  man,  the  face  of  an  inno 
cent  and  industrious  colored  person  appeals  as  few  other 
things  do;  assistance  and  encouragement  are  always  the  re 
wards  of  such  individuals.  The  finer  type  of  Southern 
white  stands  firmly  for  justice  to  such  negroes  even  to  the 
jeopardy  of  the  protector's  own  interests.  The  good  white 


453]  ORGANIZATIONS  AND  SOCIETIES 

man's  respect  for  such  negroes  is  little  short  of  admiration 
and  he  is  anxious  to  help  him  along.  Can  the  negro  secret 
societies  of  the  present  day  assist  in  raising  the  average  of 
negro  character,  institute  simple  campaigns  for  industry 
and  hygiene,  and  strive  to  better  the  relations  between  the 
races  by  effectually  instilling  principles  of  moral  life  into  the 
race?  The  negroes  have  a  noble  inheritance  in  the  deeds 
of  many  fathers  and  mothers,  whose  principles  of  fidelity 
and  application  are  worthy  of  copy.  Will  the  fraternal  or 
ganizations  and  benevolent  societies  at  least  study  the  situa 
tion  and  become  followers  of  the  faithful  fathers  ? 


CHAPTER  IV 
THE  HOME  LIFE,  DISEASES  AND  MORALS  OF  THE  NEGRO 

INDIVIDUAL  character  is  inseparably  connected  with  pure 
homes,  and  to  the  social  and  political  organism  the  home  is 
the  first  essential.  The  home  is  the  most  cherished  posses 
sion  that  we  have;  it  is  first  in  our  hearts  and  in  our 
actions.  For  home  and  loved  ones  we  live  and  work;  we 
love  them  better  than  ourselves,  and  because  of  them  we 
attain  whatever  of  worth  is  consistent  with  the  best  that  is 
in  us.  The  scenes  in  the  home  bring  to  us  the  brightest 
pictures  our  hearts  can  fancy  and  awaken  the  tenderest  feel 
ings  of  which  our  beings  are  capable.  We  do  not  forgive 
the  stranger  who  enters,  not  knowing  the  traditions  and 
habits  of  the  inmates,  and  criticizes  the  arrangement  of 
home  or  looks  upon  any  part  of  it  with  contempt.  For  the 
home  and  the  family  are  one ;  they  constitute  the  "  funda 
mental  problem  of  civilization,"  the  first  institution  that 
makes  for  the  higher  development  of  man.  With  the  home 
preserved  intact,  a  race  is  safe  and  ready  for  individual  and 
national  greatness.  In  proportion  as  the  home  life  of  a 
community  is  of  a  high  order,  to  that  degree  will  the  com 
munity  make  for  moral  and  civic  righteousness;  with  the 
home  and  family  neglected,  nothing  can  long  uphold  a  race. 
For  no  people  can  live  above  their  home  life. 

If  the  circumstances  and  conditions  which  make  up  the 
basis  for  home  life  are  almost  wholly  lacking  in  a  people; 
if  there  is  no  deep  impulse  to  cherish  the  home  with  par 
ents,  wife  and  children;  if  there  is  no  desire  to  find  true 
150  [454 


455]        THE  HOME  LIFE>  DIS^ASES  AND  MORALS          i$i 

homes  and  improve  them,  surely  the  leaders  of  such  a 
people  would  recognize  the  dire  necessity  to  which  they 
have  come.  What  strivings  ought  there  to  be  for  knowl 
edge  of  these  dangerous  conditions  and  for  the  realization 
of  any  aspirations  for  better  things  on  the  part  of  leaders 
and  those  most  interested !  What  efforts  would  be  put  forth 
to  make  race  leaders  capable  of  establishing  models  of  pur 
ity  and  ideals  of  life !  And  yet,  is  not  such  a  people  in  our 
midst?  Side  by  side,  worshiping  the  same  God  and  serv 
ing  the  same  commonwealths  as  the  whites,  the  Negro's 
life  may  almost  be  described  by  saying  that  these  funda 
mentals  are  thus  lacking.  Their  first  and  crying  need  is  for 
home  life  and  training.  And  while  there  is  much  unpleas 
antness  and  dissatisfaction  in  criticizing  as  a  "  stranger " 
the  habitations  of  these  people,  it  is  necessary  for  all  con 
cerned  to  paint  the  picture  from  life,  to  see  things  as  they 
are.  And  to  speak  truthfully  concerning  the  Negro  at  home, 
the  purity  of  plainness  must  be  observed. 

The  majority  of  the  negroes,  as  a  rule,  live  in  the  inferior 
sections  of  the  town  and  occupy  inferior  houses.  There 
may  be  distinguished  three  subdivisions  of  negro  inhabi 
tants  of  the  community:  those  who  live  in  a  better  negro 
section  of  the  town,  those  who  are  segregated  in  a  poorer 
and  more  barren  negro  division,  and  those  who  live  in  the 
midst  of  the  whites  in  servant-houses  or  cottages  near  the 
white  residences.  In  the  first  class  are  the  majority  of  the 
more  prosperous  negroes  in  the  community,  some  twenty- 
five  per  cent  of  whom  own  their  homes.  The  proportion  of 
better  houses  occupied  by  negroes  is  greatest  in  this  section. 
Such  sections  of  the  town,  being  in  the  nature  of  a  negro 
town,  often  receive  various  names:  Freeman's  Town,  Lib 
erty  Hill,  Macedonia,  Improvement,  Rising  Sun,  and  so  on. 
In  the  second  division,  the  houses  are  more  thickly  grouped 
and  the  majority  of  them  are  inferior  in  size  and  condition, 


I52     SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [456 

if  compared  with  those  of  the  first  division,  though  many 
of  the  best  negroes  live  in  this  section.  Few  own  their 
homes;  they  rent  from  whites,  many  of  whom  have  built 
cottages  purely  for  the  income  which  may  be  derived  from 
them.  Sometimes  the  houses  are  rented  from  negroes.  In 
this  division  of  the  negro  inhabitants  may  be  found  the 
most  typical  common  life.  The  houses  are  not  good  and 
are  often  far  from  comfortable;  the  windows  are  without 
glass,  the  coverings  let  in  wind  and  rain,  the  rooms  are 
small.  Few  of  the  houses  are  painted  either  externally 
or  on  the  inside.  This  section,  also,  receives  various  names, 
such  as  Rabbitskip,  Sheriff's  Hill,  Gullensville,  Shakerag, 
Needmore.  The  two  negro  sections  mentioned  are  ordi 
narily  in  opposite  parts  of  the  towns.  The  third  class,  num 
bering  some  twenty  per  cent  of  the  entire  negro  population 
of  the  community,  includes  many  of  the  most  industrious 
negroes;  among  them  may  be  found  many  of  the  best 
homes  and  much  of  the  best  negro  life.  Taken  as  a  whole, 
the  average  negro  house  presents  an  exterior  with  the  ap 
pearance  of  neglect;  the  yards  are  not  kept  and  rubbish  of 
various  kinds  is  much  in  evidence.  Except  for  the  wood 
pile,  the  axe,  the  clothes-line  and  utensils  for  washing,  the 
appearance  of  many  negro  houses  would  indicate  that  they 
were  unoccupied.  The  inmates  are,  however,  apparently 
satisfied. 

The  houses  of  the  community  may  be  described  under 
three  divisions.  Number  one  will  represent  the  best  quality 
of  houses,  number  two  the  medium,  and  number  three  the 
sorry.  If  the  houses  of  the  whites  be  divided  into  three 
classes  according  to  quality,  number  three  is  as  good  as  the 
best  houses  of  the  negroes.  If  the  negro  abodes  be  thus 
divided,  number  one  will  make  some  fifteen  per  cent  of  the 
total  number  of  houses,  number  two  about  thirty  per  cent, 
and  number  three  over  fifty  per  cent.  If  they  be  classified 


THE  HOME  LIFE;  DISEASES  AND  MORALS 

again  according  to  the  number  of  rooms,  about  fifteen  per 
cent  have  only  one  room,  about  fifty  per  cent  have  two 
rooms,  about  twenty  per  cent  have  three  rooms,  and  five  or 
ten  per  cent  have  more  than  three  rooms.  The  proportion 
of  houses  with  more  than  four  rooms  is  exceedingly  small 
and  varies  with  the  prosperity  of  the  community  of  negro 
individuals.  In  the  larger  towns  and  cities,  exceptions  are 
more  numerous.  The  average  size,  then,  is  about  two 
rooms,  the  average  family  consists  of  four  persons.  A  con 
siderable  number  of  negro  women  live  alone,  occupying 
ten  to  fifteen  per  cent  of  the  total  number  of  cottages ;  many 
others  live  in  small  cottages  with  their  children,  there  being 
some  ten  per  cent  of  the  total  number  of  families  with  a 
woman  at  the  head.  The  proportion  of  parents  without 
legitimate  children  is  large,  in  general  from  fifteen  to  twenty 
per  cent  of  the  families.  On  the  other  hand,  besides  the 
typical  family  of  three,  four,  five,  and  six  members,  many 
have  from  seven  to  twelve,  although  relatively  few  are 
found  with  more  than  eight  or  nine.  Quite  a  number  of  in 
dividual  instances  have  been  noted  where  a  family  of  ten, 
eleven,  twelve,  and  even  fourteen,  have  occupied  a  cottage 
of  two  and  three  rooms.  Such  a  family  may  include  the 
daughter  who  has  been  deserted  by  her  husband,  or  who 
has  deserted  him,  or  an  unmarried  daughter  with  one  or 
two  children.  A  physician  reported  an  extreme  case  of 
fourteen  living  in  two  rooms,  and  when  brought  to  his 
attention  there  were  four  cases  of  pneumonia,  three  of 
which  were  fatal;  and  the  case,  while  extreme,  is  far  from 
exceptional.  It  is  true,  however,  that  the  average  family 
among  the  negroes  is  not  so  large  as  in  former  years. 

In  such  crowded  quarters — not  infrequently  in  one  room 
— must  exist  the  entire  family  with  living  apparatus.  The 
interior  of  the  houses  is  not  better  than  the  exterior.  With 
a  bedstead  or  two,  or  couch,  box,  tables,  bureau,  dresser, 


SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [458 

tubs  and  basins,  buckets  and  cooking  utensils,  one  would 
scarcely  expect  the  conditions  to  be  conducive  to  comfort 
or  health.  In  addition  to  these,  accumulations  of  worth 
less  articles  serve  to  make  the  room  more  crowded.  A  box 
or  corner  of  the  room  with  rags,  strings,  pieces  of  ropes, 
boxes,  papers,  attractive  circulars,  and  various  trinkets  to 
gether  with  articles  kept  for  superstitious  reasons  contribute 
to  the  general  trash.  However,  pictures  may  be  seen  on 
the  walls.  They  are  usually  nicely  framed,  being  bought 
from  agents.  Enlarged  photographs  of  the  members  of  the 
family,  the  Lord's  Prayer,  the  Ten  Commandments,  and 
certificates  of  membership  to  fraternal  and  insurance  soci 
eties  are  the  most  common.  The  negroes  value  their  mem 
bership  certificates  to  secret  societies  very  highly,  and  often 
undergo  hardships  to  get  them  framed.  Sometimes  they 
leave  them  to  be  framed,  and  do  not  call  for  them  until  sev 
eral  months  afterwards.  As  soon  as  the  money  can  be 
spared,  however,  they  return  and  call  for  them.  Generally 
the  furniture  is  of  a  fairly  good  quality;  this  is  usually 
bought  on  the  instalment  plan,  when  such  is  possible.  The 
article  is  not  infrequently  half  paid  for,  when  the  negro 
decides  he  does  not  want  it  or  cannot  meet  the  required 
payments,  and  it  is  then  forfeited  to  the  dealer.  Likewise 
costly  articles  of  no  practical  value,  clocks,  sewing-machines 
which  are  little  used,  organs  are  bought  at  the  persuasion 
of  the  agent.  In  the  case  of  the  organ,  it  may  be  little  used, 
or  perhaps  no  one  in  the  family  can  play  it;  but  it  has  its 
attraction  and  answers  a  purpose.  The  Negro's  question 
before  marrying  is  not  whether  he  can  support  a  family, 
but  whether  he  has  anything  to  go  in  the  house. 

With  such  crowded  conditions  habits  of  uncleanness  nat 
urally  grow.  A  glance  inside  the  average  negro  cottage  is 
most  discouraging.  The  negroes  themselves  have  described 
the  picture  in  a  number  of  songs.  Says  one  of  a  house 
where  he  had  been  courting : 


4591        THE  HOME  LIFE'  DISEASES  AND  MORALS          155 

Clothes  all  dirty  ain't  got  no  broom, 
Old  dirty  clothes  all  hanging  in  de  room, 

lines  which  exactly  portray  the  room.  Another  complains 
of  grease  and  dirt,  while  another  stanza  goes : 

Honey,  babe,  honey  babe,  bring  me  de  broom, 
De  lices  and  de  chinches  'bout  to  take  my  room. 

; 

It  will  thus  be  seen  that  even  with  the  above-mentioned 

conditions  the  home  is  not  without  much  disorder.  Add  to 
these  the  further  conditions  under  which  the  negroes  must 
earn  a  livelihood.  With  those  who  do  laundry  work,  be 
sides  the  living  apparatus,  the  soiled  laundry  is  kept  in  the 
house,  and  in  stormy  weather  the  washing  and  drying  of 
the  clothes,  as  well  as  the  ironing,  must  be  done  in  the 
house.  The  men  come  in  with  dirty  clothes ;  the  nature  of 
their  work  makes  this  necessary.  There  is  not  time,  even 
were  the  disposition  present,  to  keep  the  house  clean. 
Throughout  the  day  the  negro  home  is  full  of  haste  and 
disorder.  The  mother  who  cooks  for  a  white  family  is  up 
and  off  early  in  the  morning,  leaving  the  children  uncared- 
for  at  home;  the  man  soon  leaves  also  for  his  work.  The 
children  thus  have  no  care  and  attention,  nor  do  they  al 
ways  get  breakfast;  often  they  must  wait  for  the  return 
of  the  mother,  who  brings  something  from  the  table  of  the 
whites.  Not  infrequently  this  is  late  in  the  morning;  so 
it  is  with  the  other  meals.  It  is  often  late  in  the  evening 
before  she  returns  from  her  last  duties,  and  then  she  wishes 
to  go  out  among  her  friends  or  to  some  gathering.  And 
too  often,  in  spite  of  duties,  which  she  does  not  recognize 
as  such,  she  does  go.  In  the  meantime  the  household  is 
kept  together  as  best  it  may  be  under  such  circumstances. 
Not  only  the  cooking,  but  laundry  for  two  or  three 
families  is  the  part  of  the  more  industrious  negro  women, 


!56     SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [460 

which  but  adds  to  the  duties  of  the  day  and  consequent 
neglect  of  home.  The  children  who  attend  school  at  all 
must  be  gotten  ready  with  little  care.  The  men  who  are 
regularly  employed  are  at  home  little  of  the  time,  and  those 
who  do  not  work  regularly  are  more  of  a  hindrance  than 
assistance.  The  negro  woman  is  not  unfrequently  the  head 
of  the  negro  family.  Many  negro  men  loaf  about  the  home, 
depending  upon  their  wives  and  children  to  support  them, 
while  they  work  a  little  here  and  there  and  abuse  the  family. 
On  the  other  hand,  there  are  many  women  who  refuse  to 
do  any  kind  of  work  and  at  the  same  time  they  completely 
neglect  the  affairs  at  home.  The  husband  must  return  in 
the  morning  and  make  the  fires,  get  the  wife  something  to 
eat,  besides  doing  many  trivial  things  which  please  her 
fancy;  and  unless  he  does  all  that  she  requires  of  him,  she 
threatens  him  with  infidelity.  Sometimes  the  man's  pa 
tience  is  exhausted  and  he  leaves  her;  usually  he  endures  it 
and  is  all  the  more  "  foolish  "  about  his  wife.  A  negro 
thirty  years  of  age  lived  with  his  wife  and  child,  a  boy  of 
six  years,  in  a  cottage  of  two  rooms;  his  place  of  work 
was  within  a  few  yards  of  his  home.  This  negro  would 
often  leave  his  work  and  run  over  to  the  "  house  "  more 
than  a  dozen  times  a  day.  This  evidently  had  two  bases, 
the  one  because  he  wanted  to  please  her  by  showing  his 
attention — he  was  very  "  foolish  'bout  his  babe/'  the  other 
because  he  feared  the  constant  threats  of  his  wife,  that  she 
would  let  some  "  rounder  "  in.  During  a  single  week  they 
have  quarreled  and  separated  three  times;  but  as  soon  as 
separated  they  would  become  reconciled  again.  Often  the 
wife  would  run  out  of  the  house  screaming  for  help;  this 
she  did  to  make  him  do  what  she  wanted;  at  other  times 
she  maintained  that  "  her  ole  man  "  had  threatened  to  kill 
her,  a  thing  which  he  admitted — the  threat  at  least  was  jus 
tified.  And  still  at  the  close  of  the  week  or  day  of  such  an 


461]         THE  HOME  LIFE,  DISEASES  AND  MORALS          157 

occurrence  the  negro  laborer  cheerfully  and  begrudgingly 
turned  over  his  pay  to  her.  The  wife  immediately  wasted 
it,  leaving  him  to  get  supplies  for  the  home  as  best  he  could ; 
and  unless  he  furnished  what  she  wanted  to  eat  and  wear, 
she  threatened  again  to  leave  him.  It  is  thus  that  the  negro 
woman  is  proverbial  for  her  skill  in  getting  the  "  dollar  " 
from  the  man. 

Since  the  sum  of  his  earnings  is  small,  and  artnce  he 
spends  much  for  unnecessary  things,  for  church  and  lodge, 
and  whatever  pleases  his  fancy,  the  negro  would  not  be  ex 
pected  to  keep  an  abundant  supply  of  provisions  in  the 
home.  Dietary  studies  show  that  he  does  not.  He  buys 
small  quantities  at  a  time,  and  there  is  much  irregularity  in 
even  this  amount.  He  is  generally  required  to  pay  cash 
for  what  he  buys;  this  he  has  in  small  quantities  only.  In 
some  instances  the  negroes  are  considered  quite  trustworthy, 
but  in  most  cases  to  give  credit  to  him  means  not  only  the 
loss  of  the  amount  owed,  for  the  time  being,  but  also  the 
loss  of  his  patronage.  For  he  will  not  come  back  again 
until  he  has  paid  what  he  owes.  When  the  negroes  have 
comparatively  plenty  of  money  they  buy  groceries  of  the 
first  quality,  otherwise  they  buy  the  inferior  quality,  the 
latter  condition  being  the  rule.  But  the  negro  not  infre 
quently  lives  from  hand  to  mouth.  The  man  may  get  his 
meals  at  his  place  of  work;  the  woman  at  her  place.  If 
she  cooks  for  the  whites,  she  brings  provisions  from  the 
white  man's  table  and  pantry,  which  she  invariably  brings 
in  the  bucket  or  basket  carried  for  the  purpose.  One  need 
not  expect  to  hire  a  cook  if  she  is  not  permitted  to  carry 
her  bucket  along  with  her.  The  negroes  thus  economize 
not  only  in  the  matter  of  actual  provisions,  but  also  in  fuel 
and  time.  Often  the  men  do  not  go  home  for  dinner,  but 
with  a  nickel  or  dime  they  buy  from  the  lunch-counter  a 
pie  or  an  egg,  sandwich,  cheese  and  crackers,  and  eat  them 


158     SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [462 

on  the  streets.  They  apparently  eat  such  a  dinner  with 
relish.  The  same  method  often  follows  for  supper;  the 
restaurants  run  by  the  negroes  supply  a  part  of  this  de 
mand.  Negroes  often  buy  fruit  when  it  is  cheap;  some 
times  they  prefer  a  couple  of  bottles  of  soda-water  to  a 
meal.  Negroes  often  go  for  many  hours  without  eating 
anything.  The  negro  sings  longingly  of  the  good  things  to 
eat  and  says  dolefully, 

It's  three  long  weeks  since  I  have  eat  a  meal. 

It  is  not  surprising,  then,  that  he  eats  ravenously  when 
food  is  set  before  him.  One  marvels  to  watch  such  negroes 
eat;  enjoyment  shines  from  their  faces  and  they  are  at  their 
best  wits,  while  eating  enough  to  seemingly  kill  the  ordi 
nary  man.  The  "  hand  out "  is  proverbial.  This  is  some 
times  earned  by  a  little  odd  job,  sometimes  it  is  begged. 
Sometimes  it  is  furnished  by  the  cook  at  the  back  door  or 
yard  of  the  white  man's  house.  For  the  irregular  negro  it 
is  his  chief  source  of  livelihood,  and  he  sings, 

All    I   want's    my   strong   hand-out, 
It  will  make  me  strong  and  stout. 

They  pride  themselves  on  getting  the  best  meals  and  with 
the  least  work.  They  sing  of  good  things  to  eat,  of  butter 
milk  and  "  greasy  greens,"  of  chicken  and  meat.  The  hand 
out  represents  the  ideal  in  such  a  case.  Says  one: 

I  wus  goin'  down  the  railroad,  hungry  an'  wanted  to  eat, 

I  ask  white  lady  fer  some  bread  an*  meat, 

She  giv*  me  bread  an'  coffee  an'  treated  me  mighty  fine, 

If  I  could  git  them  good  hand-outs,  I'd  quit  work,  bum  all  de  time. 

Again,  the  negro  tells  of  being  invited  to  dine,  of  eating 
hog-eye  grease,  burnt  bread  and  ashes,  as  well  as  the  better 
things.  One  stanza  of  the  song  goes : 


463]         THE  HOME  LIFE>  DISEASES  AND  MORALS 

Ask  me  to  de  table,  thought  I'd  take  a  seat, 
First  thing  I  saw  wus  big  chunk  o'  meat, 
Big  as  my  head,  hard  as  a  maul, 
I  eat  cake,  corn  bread,  bran  and  all. 

It  is  readily  seen  that  the  negro  does  not  need  to  keep  large 
supplies  of  provisions,  and  that  he  lives  much  to  his  satis 
faction.  It  is  also  unfortunately  true  that  the  associations 
and  good  cheer  which  might  come  from  the  home  and  meals 
taken  together  are  almost  totally  wanting.  It  is  a  sad  pic 
ture  for  any  people  to  exist  from  hand  to  mouth,  now  not 
having  enough  to  eat,  now  too  much,  never  eating  quietly 
and  with  the  warmth  and  fellowship  of  the  family. 

It  will  thus  be  seen  that  there  is  little  orderly  home  life 
among  the  negroes.  Health  conditions  and  daily  habits  are 
no  better  than  the  arrangement  of  the  house.  Sometimes 
an  entire  family  consisting  of  father,  mother,  large  and  small 
children  occupy  the  same  rooms.  Nor  do  they  ventilate, 
and  especially  when  any  of  the  inmates  are  sick  they  are 
loath  to  let  in  the  fresh  air.  Many  superstitions  constrain 
them  to  endanger  their  health  by  foolish  practices.  A  negro 
family  refused  to  remove  ashes  from  the  fireplace  for  sev 
eral  months,  fearing  thus  to  cause  the  death  of  the  sick  one. 
Other  foolish  notions  relating  to  a  change  of  clothing  pre 
vail.  Consequently  there  is  less  hope  of  recovery  in  case  of 
serious  sickness,  and  more  opportunities  for  sickness  to 
grow.  In  the  day,  at  night,  when  sick  or  when  well,  the 
negroes  have  no  conditions  for  inspiring  love  of  home  or 
for  health  of  mind  and  body.  Physicians  testify  that  three 
or  four  often  sleep  in  a  bed  together;  they  do  not  change 
clothing  before  going  to  bed  in  many  cases,  and  often  go 
for  many  days  without  a  change  of  garments.  They  go 
through  the  rain  constantly  without  umbrella  or  coat  and 
remain  wet  all  day;  at  night  they  sleep  in  the  same  clothes, 
but  sleep  soundly  and  peacefully  enough.  They  do  not 


!<5o     SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [464 

bathe  nor  do  they  think  this  unusual.  It  is  related  that 
young  negroes  often  sleep  with  their  heads  toward  the  fire 
place  and  their  feet  uncovered  in  the  opposite  direction,  and 
that  children  cover  their  heads  while  their  feet  remain  cold. 
It  has  been  suggested  that  the  personal  habits  of  the  negroes 
are  filthy ;  such  is  the  case.  Filth  and  uncleanness  is  every 
where  predominant.  One  must  refrain  from  a  description 
of  the  worst  phase  of  the  negro's  personal  habits.  Yet  their 
own  best  witnesses  testify  that  nothing  seems  to  improve 
such  habits,  nor  do  the  majority  of  negroes  seem  to  care. 
Says  one  of  their  number :  "  Preaching  the  laws  of  health 
and  hygiene  to  them  in  this  age  has  about  the  same  effect 
as  preaching  the  gospel  has.  They  hear  willingly  but  heed 
slowly.  Many  hear  but  only  a  few  will  believe ;  a  few  will 
be  saved  but  many  will  be  lost."  In  many  instances  the 
best  white  physicians  are  unwilling  to  practice  among  the 
negroes.  The  existence  of  such  conditions  of  home-life  as 
obtain  among  them  makes  any  attendance  upon  their  sick 
unpleasant  and  repulsive,  besides  difficult.  In  addition  to 
this,  the  fee  is  uncertain  and  the  physician  cannot  afford  to 
attend  many  of  such  patients.  Indeed,  one  feels  the  pathos 
of  the  situation  in  its  essentials  when  he  sees  a  negro 
frantically  trying  to  get  a  doctor  but  is  unable  to  do  so. 
The  negroes  have  very  few  physicians  of  their  own;  the 
average  town  is  without  such  a  man.  The  list  of  applicants 
for  license  shows,  however,  that  they  are  on  the  increase, 
and  this  indicates  a  better  condition  for  the  future. 

Furthermore,  the  relations  existing  between  the  parents, 
and  among  the  other  members  of  the  family  are  not  pleas 
ant.  Little  time  is  spent  at  home  with  the  pleasures  that 
properly  belong  to  the  home.  Even  the  short  time  thus 
occupied  is  rarely  conducive  to  pleasure  or  harmony.  The 
father  and  mother  are  often  against  each  other,  and  loud 
in  their  war  of  words,  sometimes  fighting.  The  children 


465]         THE  HOME  LJFE>  DISEASES  AND  MORALS          j6l 

are  witnesses  to  this  quarreling  and  righting;  sometimes 
the  children  are  hostile  to  either  mother  or  father  or  both. 
The  relation  between  the  younger  and  older  children  is  not 
one  of  harmony,  nor  are  the  general  relations  between  the 
older  children  and  parents  better.  The  parents  in  turn  are 
reckless  and  severe  in  their  abuse  and  punishment  of  the 
children.  Such  phrases  as  "  I'll  skin  you  alive,"  "  £11  beat 
the  life  out  o'  you,"  "  I'll  wear  you  into  er  frazzle,"  "  I 
sholy  am  gwine  kill  you  "  are  every-day  expressions.  With 
the  negro  such  expressions  of  feeling  seem  to  indicate  the 
natural  outburst  of  expression  signifying  to  some  extent 
the  characteristic  love  of  "  bluff."  Such  utterances  are 
more  common  to  mothers.  Perhaps  they  do  not  intend 
severity  of  any  kind;  it  is  most  likely  that  the  offending 
chap  will  go  unpunished,  and  a  short  time  later  he  may  be 
heard  surpassing  his  mother  as  he  threatens  with  great 
vociferousness  to  annihilate  his  playmates.  Again,  the  par 
ent  often  begins  to  administer  corporal  punishment  and 
never  knows  when  to  stop,  and  finally  when  tired  out  he 
sees  that  he  has  abused  the  child,  and  his  sympathy  takes  the 
expression  of  "  Now  go  on,  you  little  brat,  I  didn't  mean 
to  kill  you;  you  sholy  won't  let  me  ketch  you  at  that  no 
more."  Many  negroes  devise  ingenious  methods  of  pun 
ishing  their  children,  some  of  which  are  effective.  For  in 
stance,  a  negro  man  always  brought  his  boy  some  candy 
just  before  punishing  him.  When  he  called  George  and  told 
him  that  here  was  some  candy,  George  began  to  cry,  for 
he  knew  what  it  meant.  The  parent  would  insist  that  the 
child  eat  the  candy,  and  as  soon  as  he  had  begun  to  enjoy 
it  the  thrashing  would  be  forthcoming.  The  idea  with  the 
negro  seemed  to  be  two-fold:  he  would  make  the  punish 
ment  impressive  by  contrasting  it  with  the  thing  which  the 
boy  liked,  and  he  would  also  show  him  that  the  punishment 
was  not  anger,  but  paternal  love.  This  latter  element  the 


1 62     SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [466 

negro  never  admitted,  but  it  was  apparently  there.  So 
others  have  devised  equally  interesting  modes,  but  on  the 
whole,  the  scolding  and  punishment  has  just  the  opposite 
effect  from  that  which  it  should  have.  The  children  rarely 
feel  kindly  towards  their  parents.  So  it  is  that  after  they 
have  grown  up  the  family  is  not  united  in  purpose,  spirit, 
or  in  physical  presence.  The  statement  is  a  common  one — 
and  there  is  much  to  substantiate  it — that  the  members  of 
negro  families  are  more  separated  now  than  in  the  time  of 
slavery.  Such  is  undoubtedly  the  case  in  many  families 
where  the  children  have  grown  up  to  maturity.  Many  ex 
amples  seem  pathetic,  but  are  apparently  forgotten.  In 
stance  after  instance  has  been  noted  where  parents,  old  and 
almost  helpless,  have  been  deserted  by  their  children.  Nor 
do  the  parents  know  the  whereabouts  of  their  children. 
Often  they  say  that  sometime  ago  the  children  were  at  such- 
and-such  a  place,  but  with  a  vacant  look  of  sadness  the 
parents  say  they  do  not  know  where  their  children  are  now. 
The  one  desire  of  the  younger  negroes — and  it  seems  to  be 
a  natural  one — appears  to  be  freedom  from  work  and  paren 
tal  control. 

The  conditions  of  the  home  are  not  made  better  by  the 
reading  of  literature ;  for  the  most  part  the  influence  is  en 
tirely  wanting,  for  good  or  bad.  A  few  newspapers  are 
read  and  the  advertisements  enjoyed.  The  negro  news 
paper  is  growing  in  its  circulation  and  influence.  The  ma 
jority  of  those  published  by  lodge  and  church  are  a  positive 
influence.  They  generally  contain  much  sound  advice  and 
give  glimpses  of  negro  life  as  they  should  do.  The  Negro 
is  loyal  to  his  paper,  and  the  pride  in  it  is  an  incentive  to 
better  work,  when  the  paper  is  sound  and  conservative.  A 
few  daily  papers  are  read  by  the  negroes,  while  the  mass 
of  information  regarding  the  negroes  and  popular  events 
are  easily  spread  from  individual  to  individual,  or  from 


467]         THE  HOME  LIFE>  DISEASES  AND  MORALS 

lodge  meeting  and  church.  The  younger  negroes  are  far 
too  fond  of  books  of  vulgar  stories  and  songs  and  of  the 
dime-novel  type.  A  favorite  story  among  the  negroes  of  a 
town  was  picked  up.  The  opening  words  began :  "  Hit  him 
ag'in,  Sarp."  "I  shorely  will,  Billy."  "Slap!  Smack! 
Bump!"  While  a  number  of  church  papers  are  read  by  the 
leading  church  members,  the  influence  is  relatively  small. 
What  is  more  surprising  is  the  fact  that  there  are  few  Bibles 
among  the  negroes.  One  would  expect  that  they  would  at 
least  own  Bibles,  but  a  great  many  do  not.  Some  confess 
that  they  do  not  want  them,  while  others  think  they  do  not 
need  the  Bible ;  still  others  seem  surprised  to  know  that 
they  are  expected  to  have  a  Bible.  "  Naw,  suh.  Boss,  I 
ain't  got  no  Bible;  ain't  got  time  fer  sich  in  mine;  I  does 
well  to  git  a  livin',  I  does ;"  or,  "  I  don't  need  no  Bible, 
huh."  The  persuasive  agent  has  failed  to  make  the  Bible 
as  attractive  as  many  other  things ;  the  church  societies  look 
little  to  their  distribution. 

Growing  out  of  this  disorder,  confusion,  and  lack  of 
home  training,  two  things  might  be  expected :  immorality 
and  crime,  on  the  one  hand,  and  disease  on  the  other.  Such 
is  the  case.  The  indiscriminate  mixing  in  the  home  leads 
to  bad  personal  habits;  the  utter  lack  of  restraint  deadens 
any  moral  sensibilities  that  might  be  present.  Nowhere  in 
the  home  is  there  restraint;  the  contact  and  conduct  of  its 
members  belong  to  the  lowest  classification.  There  is  little 
knowledge  of  the  sanctity  of  home  or  marital  relations; 
consequently  little  regard  for  them.  The  open  cohabitation 
of  the  sexes  related  by  no  ties  of  marriage  is  a  very  com 
mon  practice;  little  is  thought  of  it  as  it  relates  to  the  race; 
there  is  apparently  no  conscience  in  the  matter.  They  are 
aware,  however,  that  the  law  operates  against  such  a  prac 
tice,  and  just  preceding  court  week  the  mode  of  living  is 
abandoned,  indicating  that  they  know  such  relations  are 


!64     SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [468 

wrong.  An  illustration  will  indicate  the  exact  nature  of 
the  cases.  Sam,  the  house-boy,  was,  to  all  appearances,  an 
ideal  darkey.  He  was  supposed  to  be  free  from  the  accu 
sations  of  sexual  immorality,  if  any  negro  in  the  commun 
ity  was.  The  facts  of  his  case  showed  otherwise,  however. 
He  1-ived  in  one  room  of  a  two-room  cottage.  In  the  other 
room  lived  a  woman  with  four  children.  This  woman  had 
a  visitor  from  the  country,  and  since  there  was  no  room 
for  her,  she  was  assigned  to  stay  in  Sam's  quarters,  to 
which  he  readily  assented.  She  remained  there  for  two 
months,  until  the  other  woman  "  got  tired  o'  such  doins  in 
her  house,"  although  she  had  instituted  the  proceedings. 
She  threatened  to  report  Sam  to  the  town  authorities  and 
frightened  him  by  telling  the  white  folks  about  it.  He  in 
turn  borrowed  the  money  and  bought  a  license,  married 
the  woman  from  the  country,  although  he  had  appeared 
never  to  have  thought  of  such  a  procedure  before.  When 
the  neighboring  woman  knew  that  they  were  to  be  married 
she  begged  the  white  people  not  to  say  anything  about  the 
matter,  adding  that  it  was  all  right,  they  were  to  marry 
and  she  did  not  mean  what  she  had  said.  After  the  mar 
riage  it  would,  of  course,  be  unreasonable  to  assert  that 
there  had  been  aught  of  wrong  or  disgrace.  Such  ethical 
views  are  significant.  This  wife  has  done  nothing  for  Sam 
save  to  make  him  miserable,  and  she  is  as  "  ugly  as  the 
devil  "  besides.  She  makes  him  worthless  at  his  work, 
leads  him  into  trouble,  and  gives  him  no  home.  Nor  is  this 
example  extreme;  on  the  contrary,  it  is  but  a  mild  one, 
and  the  number  of  such  cases  is  very  large.  Indiscriminate 
cohabitation  of  members  of  the  family,  with  its  train  of 
consequences,  is  common  enough  among  the  negroes.  Ap 
parently  nothing  will  restrain  the  negro  in  his  present 
stage  except  the  law.  The  negro  preacher  was  not  far  from 
the  basic  need  when  he  affirmed  that  the  greatest  need  of 


469]         THE  HOME  LIFE>  DISEASES  AND  MORALS 

his  people  was  "  moar  laws  and  streaker  laws ;"  he  wished 
to  give  emphasis  to  this  verdict.  Too  often  for  the  good 
of  the  race,  the  law  overlooks  the  majority  of  such  prac 
tices,  taking  immorality  of  all  kinds  as  a  necessary  and  nat 
ural  adjunct  to  negro  life.  Religious  allegiance  seems 
powerless  to  uphold  and  purify  the  lives  of  the  many;  the 
law  is  the  best  expedient.  Outside  the  home,  on  all  occa 
sions  and  continually,  there  are  no  less  indiscriminate  prac 
tices.  Too  often  every  home  is  considered  a  place  of  de 
bauchery;  the  negroes  know  full  well  the  numerous  houses 
to  which  they  are  invited  and  to  which  they  go.  The 
"  creeper,"  the  "  rounder-shaker,"  and  the  "  eastman  "  are 
too  well  known  to  elicit  surprise  among  the  negroes.  Every 
home  is  liable  to  their  criminal  influence,  when  every  man 
and  every  woman  becomes  common  property. 

Perhaps  nowhere  in  negro  life  does  the  problem  of 
immorality  appear  more  stupendous  than  among  the  chil 
dren.  Innocently  they  reflect  all  that  is  not  innocent;  guilt 
less,  they  show  the  superlative  of  filth  and  indecency.  The 
amount  of  knowledge  of  evil  and  evil  practices  possessed 
by  small  children  is  unthinkable.  Their  practices  are  no 
less  appalling.  The  unconscious  depth  of  depravity  to  which 
the  children  have  already  come  is  appalling.  Their  "  fun  " 
is  one  continuous  product  of  damning  influence.  Their 
brightness  of  mind  is  turned  into  shame  and  is  witnessed 
in  the  seemingly  inexhaustible  fund  of  what  they  call 
"  funny  "  songs  and  sayings,  which  in  reality  are  to  the 
highest  degree  indecent  and  profane.  Nor  is  it  surprising 
that  the  children  become  so  early  in  life  masters  of  the  un 
clean  and  immoral.  They  hear  unclean  words  and  witness 
obscene  deeds  on  every  hand.  They  but  reflect  on  a  small 
scale  what  their  elders  embody  in  their  daily  life. 

There  is  no  better  and  more  accurate  story  of  the  im 
moral  and  unmoral  life  of  the  Negro  than  is  told  in  his 


SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [470 

songs.  Yet,  only  the  better  songs  may  be  given  to  the  pub 
lic;  the  great  mass  of  vulgar  and  indecent  songs  do  not 
admit  of  publication.  Often  such  songs  are  in  the  majority, 
and  they  are  generally  favorites  among  the  negroes.  With 
the  life  of  immorality  comes  its  expression  in  story  and 
song,  With  the  gifted  "  music  physicianers,"  "  musician- 
ers  "  and  "  songsters,"  a  vast  throng  "  swelling  with  song — 
instinct  with  life,  tremulous  treble  and  darkening  bass," 
with  the  "  gift  of  story  and  song,"  comes  also  the  inex 
pressible  wilderness  of  vulgarity  and  indecency.  Their 
songs  tell  of  every  phase  of  immorality  and  filth;  they  rep 
resent  the  superlative  of  the  repulsive.  Ordinarily  the  im 
agination  can  picture  conditions  worse  than  they  actually 
exist;  but  as  in  negro  life  deeds  are  beyond  reason,  so  in 
these  songs  the  pictures  go  far  beyond  the  white  man's  con 
ception  of  the  real.  The  prevailing  theme  of  this  class  of 
songs  is  that  of  sexual  relations,  and  there  is  no  restraint 
in  its  expression.  In  comparison  with  similar  songs  of 
other  peoples  that  have  been  preserved,  those  of  the  Negro 
stand  out  in  a  class  of  their  own.  They  are  sung 'at  the 
dance  and  other  mixed  gatherings.  They  are  sung  by 
groups  of  boys  and  girls,  of  men  and  women,  and  they  are 
sung  by  individuals  who  revel  in  their  suggestiveness. 
Here  the  vivid  imagination  of  the  Negro  makes  his  con 
stant  thought  a  putrid  bed  of  rottenness  and  intensifies  his 
already  depraved  nature.  Openly  descriptive  of  the  gross 
est  immorality  and  susceptible  of  unspeakable  thoughts  and 
actions,  rotten  with  filth,  they  are  yet  sung  to  the  time- 
honored  melodies.  The  words  of  the  song  are  visualized 
into  the  deed  and  incorporated  into  the  imagination — chil 
dren  from  ten  to  twelve  years  of  age  knowing  a  hundred 
such  songs;  songs  varying  in  all  degrees  of  dirty  sugges 
tion  and  description  sung  in  the  home,  not  collectively,  but 
by  individuals,  with  no  thought  of  impropriety  —  these 


471  ]         THE  HOME  LIFE,  DISEASES  AND  MORALS 

constitute  pictures  for  the  student  of  the  race  to  con 
template.  It  is  a  marvel  of  the  Negro's  mental  tendency 
that  he  can  keep  together  such  a  vast  heap  of  moral  refuse 
and  filth.  Nor  are  the  religious  songs  free  from  the  in 
vasion;  parodies  as  vulgar  as  the  accumulations  of  inde 
cent  thought  can  contrive  are  sung  to  standard  tunes  and 
stately  measures.  It  is  the  saddest  side  of  the  Negro's 
nature.  Must  he  continue  as  the  embodiment  of 'fiendish 
filth  incarnated  in  the  tabernacle  of  the  soul?  He  cannot 
aspire  in  filth  nor  experience  longing  for  anything  that  is 
good,  while  reveling  in  the  evil.  These  songs  come  ill- 
harmonized  to  the  soft,  stirring  melodies  of  a  folk-life;  and 
sadder  is  it  to  know  that  the  song  reflects  his  true  nature. 
Will  the  Negro  not  check  his  downward  path  and  make 
good  the  cheering  possibilities  that  apparently  lie  dormant 
in  the  race  ? 

Add  to  this  disorder  and  immorality  extreme  health  con 
ditions  and  prevalence  of  disease.  The  Negro  rarely  knows 
what  it  is  to  be  in  good  health,  although  he  troubles  little 
about  his  condition.  The  fact  that  the  great  majority  of 
negroes  rarely  ever  enjoy  good  health,  a  natural  conse 
quence  of  their  habits,  has  been  transmitted  from  genera 
tion  to  generation  in  their  well-known  replies  to  inquiries 
concerning  their  health.  He  never  answers  that  he  is  well, 
but  only  fairly  so :  "  O,  I'se  doin'  tolerable,  I  guess,"  "  Fse 
only  po'ly  to-day,"  "  I  ain't  well  no  mo',"  and  many  sim 
ilar  expressions.  While  the  reply  thus  given  has  become 
habitual,  it  is  almost  invariably  the  correct  statement  of  a 
chronic  state  of  health.  But  aside  from  the  fact  of  general 
health  conditions,  it  is  true  that  the  diseases  most  destruc 
tive  to  a  race  are  increasing  among  the  negroes.  Hence 
the  death-rate  is  far  greater  than  among  the  whites.  There 
can  be  no  more  than  a  reference  to  these  diseases  here. 
Suffice  it  to  say  that  the  testimony  of  all  the  practicing 


!68     SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [472 

physicians  among  the  negroes,  in  so  far  as  their  experience 
and  observations  go,  bears  out  the  fact  that  the  diseases  de 
scribed  by  the  specialists  are  prevalent  and  on  the  increase. 
The  facilities  for  obtaining  accurate  and  exhaustive  infor 
mation  in  the  smaller  communities,  as  well  as  in  the  larger 
cities,  do  not  exist.  But  so  far  as  the  investigator  is  able 
to  discover,  the  condition  of  the  Negro  of  to-day  in  the  com 
munities  studied  does  not  differ  from  the  general  summary 
which  follows.  The  minor  points  of  variation  and  the  pro 
fessional  opinions  of  practicing  physicians  will  give  added 
concreteness  to  the  general  statement  concerning  the  dis 
eases  of  the  black  man.  President  G.  Stanley  Hall,  of 
Clark  University,  states  the  summary  of  medical  studies 
upon  the  Negro's  liability  to  disease  as  follows : 

To  select  the  single  question  of  health,  from  many  of  the  racial 
differences  above  enumerated,  we  find  in  compiling  many 
medical  studies  of  the  blacks,  that  their  diseases  are  very  dif 
ferent  from  ours.  Their  liability  to  consumption  is  estimated 
at  from  one  and  a  half  to  three  and  a  half  times  greater  than 
that  of  the  whites.  This  is  only  partly  due  to  their  transporta 
tion  from  equatorial  Africa,  because  there  they  are  peculiarly 
prone  to  tuberculosis,  and  measurements  show  less  average 
lung  capacity  than  is  found  in  the  whites.  Very  striking  is 
their  immunity  from  malaria  and  yellow  fever,  which  shows  a 
different  composition  of  the  blood,  and  which  enables  them  to 
work  in  so  many  places  where  the  whites  cannot.  They  have 
extraordinary  power  to  survive  both  wounds  and  grave  surgi 
cal  operations,  with  less  liability  during  convalescence  to  re 
actions  of  fever  and  other  complications.  There  is  less  sup 
puration,  better  and  quite  different  granulation  and  scarifica 
tion.  Their  lymphatic  glands  are  more  developed  and  more 
effective  in  filtering  out  bacteria,  so  that  to  most  infections  they 
are  more  antiseptic;  and  the  specific  energy  of  their  serum, 
bile,  and  phagocytes  against  toxines  is  different  from  that  of 


473]         THB  HOME  LIFE>  DISEA$E$  ^ND  MORALS          ^9 

whites.  Cancer,  especially  of  the  worst  or  carcinomous  kind, 
is  very  rare,  as  are  varicocele,  enlarged  prostate,  stone  in  gall 
and  bladder,  and  ovarian  tumor.  They  are  far  from  exempt 
from  congenital  deformities,  whether  those  due  to  arrest  or 
perverted  growth,  so  that  humpback,  clubfoot,  harelip,  spina 
bifida,  are  [not]  unusual.  There  is  more  syphilis,  but  it  less 
often  results  in  tabes ;  more  passion  for  alcohol  and  more  con 
sequent  congestion  of  the  liver,  but  less  pure  alcoholism/  There 
is  less  insanity,  mental  defect  oftener  takes  the  form  of  idiocy, 
and  all  acute  psychoses  like  mania  issue  sooner  in  imbecility. 
Epilepsy  is  far  more  common,  and  is  connected  with  their  gen 
eral  erethism.  They  are  naturally  cheerful,  and  so  very  rarely 
suffer  from  melancholia  or  commit  suicide.  The  strange  sleep 
ing  sickness,  they  have  practically  all  to  themselves.  Tetanus 
is  common,  chorea  rare.  General  paralysis  or  softening  of  the 
brain,  said  never  to  have  occurred  in  slavery,  although  now 
sometimes  found,  usually  lacks,  when  it  does  occur,  the  char 
acteristic  stages  of  delusions  of  greatness,  perhaps  owing  to 
their  humble  position.  Many  eye  troubles  are  infrequent,  and 
various  other  differences  have  been  noted.  Now  these  distinc 
tions  involve  profound  diversities  of  constitution  and  diathesis. 
All  their  diseases  have  a  different  prognosis  and  require  modi 
fications  of  treatment,  so  that  the  training  of  physicians  for 
the  two  races  needs  differentiation.  Immune  to  many  condi 
tions  morbific  for  Caucasians,  they  are  very  susceptible  to 
others  harmless  for  whites.  In  tropical  Africa  men  and  women 
are  extremely  fond  of  bathing,  which  their  very  active  skin 
needs ;  but  this  disposition  decreases  almost  exactly  as  clothing 
increases,  and  as  the  Negro  goes  North  is  often  changed  into 
exceptional  aversion  to  the  bath,  which  is  suggestive  for  cooks 
and  nurses.  Of  course  mixture  of  blood  with  the  whites  brings 
approximation  to  the  pathological  conditions  of  the  latter. 
Many  of  these  differences  are  so  radical  that  a  Southern  phy 
sician  has  said  in  substance,  perhaps  somewhat  extremely,  that 
a  successful  experience  in  treating  one  race  impaired  a  phy 
sician's  usefulness  with  the  other,  and  made  two  hygienes  and 


SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [474 

two  regimens  necessary — as  different  as  the  application  of 
veterinary  medicine  for  horses  is  from  that  applied  to  oxen.1 

Some  physicians  have  held  views  differing  in  particulars 
from  some  of  the  generally  accepted  facts.  From  the  sum 
mary  of  the  opinions  of  the  practicing  physicians  consulted, 
the  main  thesis  is  true,  however.  Many  factors  are  left  out 
in  the  general  consideration. of  the  Negro's  diseases.  They 
rarely  send  for  a  physician  until  the  disease  is  far  spent; 
he  calls  once  or  twice  perhaps.  The  majority  of  cases  are 
never  known  and  the  combined  complexities  are  not  con 
sidered.  It  remains  to  conclude  that  the  three  most  potent 
factors  in  their  diseases  and  vitality  are  tuberculosis,  vener 
eal  diseases,  and  the  general  state  of  physical  and  moral 
habits.  Further  insight  into  their  lives  is  well  given  in  the 
following  statement  of  a  physician  who  has  had  years  of 
extensive  practice  among  the  negroes  of  smaller  communi 
ties  and  on  the  plantations.  He  says : 

The  greatest  factor  in  the  mortality  rate  of  the  negroes  just 
now  is  tuberculosis.  Their  disposition  to  move  from  one  place 
to  another,  or  from  one  house  to  another,  is  respnsible  to  a 
great  extent  for  its  rapid  spread,  few  of  them  being  land 
owners,  they  seem  to  have  a  natural  tendency  to  want  to  move 
at  the  close  of  the  year,  and  a  family  free  from  tuberculosis 
will  move  right  into  a  house  just  vacated  by  a  family  that  is 
infected,  without  a  thought  of  danger.  The  only  wonder  is, 
that  it  does  not  spread  more  rapidly.  I  do  not  believe  that 
they  are  as  readily  infected  as  the  white  race  and  I  am  sure 
they  are  more  amenable  to  treatment.  The  tendency  of  the 
planters  to  build  them  good,  close  houses  at  present  will  be  a 
factor  in  increasing  the  spread,  as  well  as  the  mortality.  I 
have  little  difficulty  in  treating  tubercular  infections  among 

1 "  The  Negro  in  Africa  and  America,"  an  address  at  the  University 
of  Virginia,  July,  1905,  p.  10  seq. 


475]        THE  HOME  LIFE>  DISEASES  AND  MORALS          iji 

them  if  seen  in  time,  and  if  I  can  gain  their  confidence  and  co 
operation.  They  are  also  more  resistent  to  sepsis  than  the 
whites  and  are  better  surgical  subjects.  Pneumonia,  colds, 
lagrippe,  and  similar  diseases  go  hard  with  them  and  are  dif 
ficult  to  treat  among  them.  Venereal  diseases  and  gynecological 
affections  are  very  common,  and  I  see  few  of  the  women  that 
are  perfectly  free  from  them.  Abortions  are  common  among 
them  and  are  becoming  more  so.  Few  of  them  have  a  phy 
sician  at  the  time  of  confinement  and  suffer  the  effects  of 
negligence  and  ignorant  and  meddlesome  midwifery.  Virtue 
is  rare  among  them  if  not  altogether  unknown.  I  do  not 
believe  I  have  ever  examined  a  negro  girl  sixteen  years  old 
that  did  not  show  evidence  of  sexual  congress. 

Another  glimpse  into  the  home  life  of  the  Negro  reveals 
the  extremely  immoral  phases  of  his  life.  While  the  fol 
lowing  opinion  would  seem  to  be  extreme,  it  is  nevertheless 
noteworthy,  and  is  not  inconsistent  with  the  results  ob 
tained  from  other  physicians  and  from  thorough  investiga 
tions.  He  says : 

In  his  home  life  the  Negro  is  filthy,  careless  and  indecent.  He 
is  as  destitute  of  morals  as  any  of  the  lower  animals.  He  does 
not  know  even  the  meaning  of  the  word.  Three  things  are 
wholly  unknown  to  the  Negro — virtue,  honesty  and  truth.  We 
have  few  exceptions  to  the  above  rules.  Syphilis  and  tuber 
culosis  are  his  worst  enemies.  To  the  latter  disease  he  very 
easily  succumbs,  due  to  the  close  and  filthy  manner  of  living. 
They  will  pen  up  four  to  ten  in  a  small  room  at  night,  hence 
very  little  oxygen.  This  is  my  observation  from  twenty  years 
of  professional  work  in  a  section  where  the  population  is  largely 
negroes. 

The  testimony  of  another  who  has  made  a  specialty  of 
negro  practice  may  be  selected  from  many  others  of  similar 
nature.  Concerning  the  Negro  at  home,  he  says : 


SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO 


[476 


Few  know  what  home  is  and  have  little  desire  for  it.  He  has 
no  morals.  None  are  virtuous,  not  even  the  better  class. 
Many  girls  under  twelve  years  of  age  seen  by  me  cohabit  with 
men  and  are  frequently  found  with  venereal  troubles.  The 
leading  preachers  are  frequently  treated  by  me  for  syphilis 
and  gonorrhea. 

The  conditions  among  the  negroes  seem  to  be  worse  as  the 
majority  of  the  population  is  negro.  There  are  few  ex 
ceptions  to  these  conditions,  and  no  physician  has  been 
found  who  would  testify  to  the  contrary;  a  few  have  ex 
pressed  a  hope  for  better  possibilities.  None  of  the  com 
munities  studied  differ  materially  in  this  respect. 

The  responsibility  and  extent  of  the  situation  begin  to 
dawn  on  the  student  of  social  welfare.  For  those  primar 
ily  interested  in  the  negro  race  or  in  the  white  race  or  in 
both,  the  facts  are  equally  important.  The  fact  is  unde 
niable  that  venereal  and  pulmonary  diseases  are  the  worst 
that  afflict  mankind;  they  are  everywhere  on  the  increase 
among  the  negroes  to  an  alarming  extent.  Those  who  are 
in  a  position  to  know  hold  that  such  afflictions  are  danger 
ous,  not  only  to  the  negroes,  but  menacing  to  those  among 
whom  they  dwell.  And  it  is  a  deplorable  fact  that  if  the 
course  of  these  diseases  is  not  stopped,  it  may  come  to  pass 
that  many  who  deserve  to  be  free  from  all  impurity  will 
not  escape  these  afflictions.  This  one  thing  itself  ought  to 
cause  the  officers  of  the  law  no  longer  to  countenance  the 
gross  carelessness  and  immorality  existing  among  the  ne 
groes.  The  realization  of  these  facts  ought  to  stimulate 
those  who  are  in  a  position  to  do  most  to  direct  and  to 
execute  positive  measures  along  the  proper  lines.  It  is  earn 
estly  hoped  that  the  mass  of  people  will  become  informed 
concerning  existing  conditions;  it  is  of  vital  importance 
not  only  to  the  Negro,  but  to  those  who  would  assist  him, 


4773         THE  HOME  LIFE>  DI CEASES  AND  MORALS 

and  those  who  would  promote  the  purity  of  the  white  race. 
The  small  town  might  be  supposed  to  be  free  from  the 
maladies,  at  least  to  have  a  minimum  affection,  but  in  real 
ity  they  show  an  alarming  percentage  of  diseases.  The 
habit  of  using  cocaine  has  constantly  grown,  and  among 
the  better  classes,  with  its  evil  results.  Its  extensive  use  in 
the  cities  brings  the  inevitable  influence  to  the  smaller  com 
munities.  The  present  tendency  in  most  Southern*  cities 
makes  its  sale  difficult  by  statutory  regulations,  and 
few  druggists  in  the  smaller  towns  care  to  run  the  risk  of 
selling  it.  Thus  when  one  views  the  situation  of  the  Negro 
in  its  entirety,  and  remembers  that  they  have  inadequate 
medical  attention  and  moral  direction,  and  that  they  are 
extremely  careless  in  treating  their  maladies,  it  will  be  seen 
that  the  specialists  are  not  alarmists. 

The  conclusions  as  to  the  moral  conditions  of  the  Negro 
do  not  rest  simply  on  white  testimony;  they  are  confirmed 
by  many  of  the  current  views  of  leading  negroes  of  their 
communities.  They  are  admitted  and  deplored  by  their 
most  earnest  workers;  they  are  verified  in  almost  every 
phase  of  negro  life.  Conservative  opinions  from  represen 
tative  negroes  are  noteworthy.  A  principal  of  the  colored 
school  in  one  of  the  towns  thus  sums  up  the  condition  of 
his  people : 

The  neglect  of  our  parental  duties  has  filled  our  children  with 
lies  and  cursings,  theft  and  immorality,  gambling  and  drunk 
enness,  envy  and  covetousness — well  I  tell  you  it  runs  on  from 
petty  fault  to  absolute  crime.  A  very  sad  picture  and  sadly 
have  I  pictured  it.  But  thank  God,  these  defects  do  not  apply 
to  all  the  race;  no  not  by  all  means,  for  (even  here)  we  are 
not  united  together.  But  wherever  this  neglect  has  gone,  it 
has  broken  the  peace  and  destroyed  order  between  the  races. 
It  first  exists  in  those  families  where  home  life  and  training 


1 74     SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [478 

has  been  neglected — father  and  mother  against  the  children 
and  children  against  both.  I  tremble  when  I  hear  it  said  that 
such  individuals  are  viewed  as  a  type  of  the  race.  This  may 
be  a  type  of  all  the  race  sometimes ;  it  may  be  the  type  of  some 
of  it  all  the  time,  but  I  am  pleased  to  say  that  it  is  not  the  type 
of  all  of  it  all  the  time. 

This  statement  is  worthy  of  a  careful  consideration;  un 
wittingly,  perhaps,  it  is  a  wonderfully  accurate  judgment 
of  the  Negro  race. 

There  is  a  brighter  side  to  the  picture  of  negro  home  life 
in  the  form  of  exceptional  negro  families.  But  it  is  ex 
tremely  difficult  to  see  the  better  side  of  negro  home  life 
and  environment,  and  the  worse  so  predominates  as  almost 
to  overshadow  the  better.  Not  all  homes  are  equally  dis 
orderly;  there  are  to  be  found  many  homes  which  show 
marked  pride  and  do  credit  to  the  occupants.  The  house  is 
well  kept,  the  yards  clean  and  orderly,  pots  of  flowers  may 
be  seen  arranged  with  taste,  and  flower-beds  indicate  the 
pride  felt  in  the  home  environment.  The  interior  of  such 
homes  is  well  furnished  and  with  good  taste;  pride  ex 
pected  of  an  educated  people  seems  to  be  the  dominant  fac 
tor.  Many  of  the  best  influences  of  the  home  are  repre 
sented.  The  mothers  appear  to  take  a  proper  pride  in  the 
training  and  helping  of  their  children.  They  are  given  ap 
propriate  amusements  and  furnished  with  necessary  com 
modities.  They  are  the  children  at  school  whose  appear 
ance  reflects  a  true  home  training,  and  whose  lessons  and 
enthusiasm  are  well  worth  emulating.  Their  mothers  wish 
them  to  be  "  somebody,"  "  no  cheap  folks,"  or  "  just  good, 
honest  folks."  But  here  again  the  seriousness  of  the  situa 
tion  is  revealed.  There  is  little  permanent  environment 
which  is  conducive  to  the  growth  of  character  and  worth. 
The  student  and  well-wisher  stands  back  again  in  sorrow 


479]        THE  HOME  LIFE'  D^EASES  AND  MORALS 

for  the  struggle  that  such  children  must  needs  make  in 
their  growing  lives.  Amidst  the  circumstances  which  sur 
round  the  negro  home,  is  it  surprising  that  it  is  almost  im 
possible  for  these  children  to  grow  up  into  men  and  women 
of  stability?  Even  in  those  cases  where  the  negroes  own 
modest  homes  and  keep  them  clean,  and  whose  children  give 
promise  to  grow  up  virtuous,  the  idleness  which  is  at/ times 
prevalent  among  them,  together  with  negro  environment 
in  general,  and  their  inherited  tendencies,  make  it  impos 
sible  for  them  to  develop  into  that  which  they  gave  promise 
to  become.  The  truth  of  this  profound  situation  is  well 
illustrated  by  the  following  incident;  it  is  but  one  of  many 
that  come  to  the  attention  of  those  who  have  tried  to  uplift 
the  negroes  in  their  life  and  practices :  A  lady  had  chidden 
a  negro  girl  for  her  immorality,  and  then  in  kindly  words 
urged  her  to  change  her  ways,  saying  all  the  while  that 
such  conduct  as  she  practiced  was  wrong  and  disgraceful. 
To  which  the  negro  girl  responded :  "  It's  no  use  talkin'  to 
us  colored  girls  like  we  wus  white.  A  white  girl  is  better 
thought  of  if  she  has  never  gone  astray,  but  a  colored  girl 
that  keeps  herself  pure  ain't  liked  socially.  We  just  think 
she  has  had  no  chance."  Is  it  possible  that  a  people  who 
do  not  frown  on  such  a  code  of  morality  would  clamor  for 
social  recognition?  Many  of  their  leaders  need  to  be  re 
minded,  carefully,  but  firmly  enough,  that  there  is  not,  nor 
can  there  ever  be,  any  hope  for  their  race  in  any  line  of 
permanent  achievement  until  their  moral  status  is  changed. 
And  so,  without  detracting  one  bit  from  the  credit  due 
those  homes  which  reflect  honor  upon  the  race,  it  must  still 
be  said  that  the  bright  side  of  negro  home  life  lies  only  in 
the  probable  possibilities. 

If  the  second  and  third  generations  of  negroes  are  worse 
than  the  first,  the  condition  may  be  attributed  largely  to  the 
lack  of  home  order  and  training.  In  the  home,  which  is 


SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [480 

the  unit  of  social  measurement  and  the  gauge  of  social 
progress,  the  negroes  appear  to  be  void  of  conscience.  If 
the  home,  which  Ribot  has  called  the  atom  of  the  social 
structure,  is  bad,  it  needs  no  logic  to  see  that  the  total 
organism  is  bad.  Individuals  have  no  training  school  in 
which  they  may  develop  worth  and  self-respect.  And  while 
it  is  true  that  they  have  many  difficulties  in  the  way,  which 
are  not  given  enough  consideration  as  a  rule,  it  is  also  true 
that  the  great  majority  of  negroes  care  little  for  bettering 
such  conditions.  The  Negro's  conception  of  home  is  little 
more  than  a  place  to  stay;  when  in  trouble  or  in  want  he 
longs  for  such  a  place ;  otherwise  he  thinks  little  of  it.  And 
home  would  be  complete  if  there  were  complete  rest  and 
opportunity  to  do  as  he  pleases.  Just  as  many  negroes  have 
no  homes,  neither  in  the  sense  of  a  house,  nor  a  home  town, 
so  the  conception  of  the  true  requisites  of  the  home  are  only 
vaguely  conceived,  if  they  exist  at  all.  Where  he  has  the 
"  moest  friends  "  is  the  best  home  for  the  wandering  type 
of  negro;  and  such  a  class  of  negroes  exert  all  too  great 
an  influence  upon  the  home  in  general.  He  says : 

Now  a  good  lookin'  man  can  git  a  home  anywhere  he  go ; 
Reason  why:  de  wimmins  tell  me  so. 

In  cases  where  persons  have  hoped  to  educate  a  few  negroes 
up  to  a  better  standard,  and  to  this  end  have  kindly  in 
sisted  that  a  part  of  their  wages  go  to  the  improvement  of 
the  home  and  to  supplying  it  with  necessaries,  the  negroes 
have  nearly  always  refused  to  work.  Free  time  and  money, 
actual  "  change,"  represents  to  the  negro  his  greatest  want; 
it  is  his  dire  necessity  to  have  them;  they  are  above  health 
and  gentility  and  self-respect.  His  vanity  and  eagerness  in 
the  strife  of  vain  competition  in  his  superficial  life  leave 
him  far  behind  in  powers  of  improvement. 

The  charge  will  be  made,  however,  that  the  white  man 


481]         THE  HOME  LIFE,  DISEASES  AND  MORALS 

does  not  exert  himself  to  bring  about  better  conditions  in 
the  negro  home,  and  that  many  of  the  superior  race  even 
take  part  in  its  defilement.  And  this  charge  undoubtedly 
has  much  to  substantiate  it.  On  the  one  hand,  the  whites 
bestow  little  or  no  attention  to  ascertaining  the  welfare  of 
the  negroes  at  home.  Nor  do  they  know  of  the  details, 
although  they  are  conscious  of  the  lack  of  morals  in  general, 
so  that  it  is  a  matter-of-fact  necessary  evil.  The  Church 
and  organized  society  do  not  exert  the  influence  and  in 
terest  in  behalf  of  the  Negro  that  becomes  their  privileges. 
It  is  hopeful  to  note  a  change  for  the  better  and  a  growing 
interest  and  determination  to  see  that  the  Negro  gives  an 
account  of  himself,  and  to  uplift  him  as  far  as  possible.  On 
the  other  hand_,  the  defilement  of  both  whites  and  blacks 
continues  to  considerable  degree  among  low-down  whites, 
by  which  is  meant  not  a  class,  but  individuals,  contemptible 
and  despicable  in  their  disgraceful  conduct;  they  are  often 
prominent  in  business  and  professional  circles.  But  they 
are  invariably  from  the  number  whose  influence  is  felt  less 
and  less.  If  the  facts  were  more  generally  known  our 
people  would  hang  their  heads  in  shame.  And  these  men 
of  the  negative-character  type  are  unworthy  of  any  place 
in  the  social  organism  of  either  whites  or  blacks.  Their 
forgetfulness  and  degradation  have  led  them  to  the  lowest 
depths  of  criminal  relations,  and  they  are  a  disgrace  to 
Christian  civilization  and  a  stain  upon  the  community's 
record  of  decency.  And  it  is  encouraging  to  find  that  the 
true  verdict  is  being  rendered  by  the  white  people  of  the 
South  and  that  such  a  crime  is  reaping  its  reward  in  the 
punishment  and  ostracizing  of  the  individual.  Many  whites 
are  exerting  their  best  efforts  to  make  the  decrease  in  the 
amount  of  illicit  intercourse  far  greater  than  it  is,  and  to 
reduce  the  intercourse  between  the  races  to  its  lowest  pos 
sible  proportions.  There  is  being  crystallized  a  sentiment 


SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [482 

among  the  whites  which  will  trifle  with  this  thing  no  longer. 
Although  it  is  an  unpleasant  task,  many  of  the  leading -men 
in  the  South  are  determined  to  leave  no  stone  unturned  in 
their  efforts  to  eliminate  this  crime.  And  to  this  end  steps 
are  being  taken  to  punish  all  offenders  without  compromise. 
In  full  justice  to  the  situation  facts  must  be  fairly  stated. 
In  Article  3,  in  Things  Fundamental  in  the  Adjustment  of 
the  Problems  of  the  Races,  Ex-Governor  Northen  of  Geor 
gia  says : 

As  we  are  the  superior  race,  superior  in  intelligence,  in  wealth, 
in  authority,  in  shaping  of  governmental  control  and  in  a 
longer  and  older  civilization,  can  we  not  easily  afford  to  protect 
the  rights  of  the  weaker  race,  and  defend,  not  only  their  prop 
erty,  but  their  homes  against  brutal  assaults  made  by  corrupt 
men  of  our  own  race?  Is  it  not  true  that  the  negroes  are,  prac 
tically,  helpless  against  such  moral  uncleanness  as  has  been 
perpetrated  upon  them  by  very  many  impure  and  lecherous 
bad  white  men?  Is  it  fair  to  sit  idly  by  when  we  alone  have 
power  to  punish,  and  see  the  home  of  the  negro  destroyed,  his 
family  dishonored  and  disgraced  by  unclean  men  of  the 
stronger  race?  Surely  our  statesmen,  philanthropists,  preach 
ers  and  teachers  can  devise  some  way  of  punishing  bad  white 
men  who  destroy  the  homes  of  negroes  and  become  the  fathers 
of  a  mongrel  people  whom  nobody  will  own.  If  we  will  wipe 
this  shame  from  the  record  of  our  own  race  and  purify  our 
own  people,  we  will  then  have  better  reason  to  expect  better 
things  of  the  negroes. 

Such  words  are  indeed  worthy  to  be  pondered  and  acted 
upon.  Governor  Northen  has  done  a  most  efficient  service 
preaching  law  and  order  throughout  the  State,  to  many  of 
the  best  citizens  of  county  and  state.  He  has  received  much 
co-operation  from  both  whites  and  blacks.  And  the  fact 
must  be  recognized  that  the  sooner  a  beginning  is  made 
the  better  will  the  end  be  accomplished. 


483]        THE  HOME  LIFE,  DISEASES  AND  MORALS          179 

It  remains  to  be  seen  what  the  Negro,  with  the  co-opera 
tion  of  the  whites,  can  and  will  do  for  the  up-building  of 
his  race.  Not  all  the  shortcomings  of  the  negroes  have 
been  mentioned;  not  all  the  good.  Their  leaders  are  pro 
claiming,  perhaps  more  than  ever  before,  the  law  that  the 
home  must  be  purified  and  made  better.  But  they  are  not 
proclaiming  it  universally  and  with  sufficient  zeal.  /  Their 
words  are  not  expected  to  count;  their  examples  are  not  of 
sufficient  strength  nor  their  purposes  clearly  pure.  And, 
on  the  whole,  they  do  not  appear  to  grasp  the  first  essen 
tials  of  the  true  situation.  They  should  study  and  work 
in  their  own  homes  rather  than  with  abstractions  and  per 
sonal  gratifications.  The  portrayal  of  the  negro  home 
shows  an  utter  lack  of  restraint  there,  and  a  most  complex 
situation.  Without  Bibles  and  family  fireside,  in  a  land 
of  Bibles  and  in  a  Christian  country,  a  Christian  people 
among  a  Christian  people,  a  veritable  catagory  of  para 
doxes — what  movements  are  the  negroes  making,  not  the 
oretical  teachings  by  their  "  big  men,"  but  everywhere, 
movements  which  go  to  the  bottom  with  the  individual,  in 
which  rests  their  only  hope — what  movements  are  the  ne 
groes  making  upward  in  the  practical  ethics  of  living? 
However,  it  is  but  fair  that  members  of  the  race  should 
speak  for  themselves.  With  reference  to  family  control  and 
parental  responsibility,  a  teacher  says: 

A  parent  having  children  must  ever  consider  his  duties  and 
responsibilities  toward  them.  He  must  make  laws  and  regula 
tions  for  their  guidance.  He  must  see  to  it  that  these  laws 
and  rules  are  just  and  reasonable.  He  must  enforce  them  in 
a  just  and  firm  manner.  He  must  exercise  a  just  and  explicit 
judgment  upon  the  children's  obedience  or  violation  of  these 
laws.  He  must  provide  his  children  with  shelter  and  food, 
education  and  clothing.  Education  in  the  broad  sense  of  the 


SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [484 

word  embraces  the  child  mentally,  morally,  physically  and 
spiritually.  I  have  thus  given  what  in  my  judgment  are  the 
duties  of  all  parents — the  Negro  in  particular. 

Thus  is  given  a  formal  compilation  of  doctrine  strong  and 
good ;  but  there  is  little  realization  of  it  in  practical  applica 
tion.  Whenever  the  leaders  who  utter  such  truths,  as  well 
as  the  people  at  large,  come  to  consider  such  a  course  seri 
ously  as  a  code  of  conduct,  then  in  the  next  generation 
marked  improvements  will  begin  to  be  visible;  scarcely 
sooner. 

The  lack  of  scriptural  influence  and  the  reading  of  Bibles 
in  the  home  has  been  noted;  as  a  practical  factor  they 
should  exert  the  most  powerful  influence.  Such  is  not  the 
case,  and  any  steps  toward  a  better  condition  will  increase 
the  possibilities  of  the  race.  Again,  it  is  but  fair  to  quote 
negroes  who  have  given  utterance  to  sound  advice  to  their 
people.  A  minister  says : 

We  must  teach  the  Bible  by  good  deeds  and  proper  living,  in 
the  home  first,  in  the  school,  in  the  church  and  in  the  commu 
nity.  By  all  means  teach  the  boys  and  girls  by  our  example 
first,  by  words  afterwards,  not  to  steal,  not  to  commit  vicious 
crimes.  Have  family  prayers  and  family  talks.  Teach  morn 
ing  and  evening.  So  many  wait  till  the  Sabbath  to  teach  the 
young  and  then  we  teach  more  creed  than  Christ-life.  .  .  . 
Let  us  teach  what  our  Savior  would  have  our  children  do 
rather  than  what  we  would  have  them  believe.  In  short,  buy 
Bibles  for  the  home  instead  of  bottles  for  the  riot.  Read  the 
Bible  and  let  them  know  that  it  means  for  them  to  live  by  it. 
Keep  children  at  home  and  off  the  streets.  Teach  boys  that 
if  they  violate  the  law  they  will  be  punished  in  this  and  the 
other  world.  Teach  them  what  a  disgrace  it  is  to  wear  stripes 
and  appear  at  the  mayor's  court. 

And  yet  such  doctrine  as  that  just  quoted  is  absolutely  be- 


485]         THE  HOME  LIFE,  DISEASES  AND  MORALS          igi 

yond  the  comprehension,  not  to  say  execution,  of  the  mass 
of  negroes.  The  theory  is  there  but  it  does  not  ring  with 
the  true  sincerity  of  one  who  knows  the  field  and  is  willing 
to  devote  his  life  to  it.  Perhaps  the  criticism  is  harsh ;  but 
do  these  teachers  and  preachers  earnestly  mean  what  they 
say?  Are  they  not  able  and  willing  to  demonstrate  by  ex 
ample  and  substantial  efforts  the  possibility  of  overcoming 
the  weaknesses  against  which  the  race  must  fight  ?  ^ 

Such  are  the  partial  glimpses  into  negro  home  life,  with 
its  resultant  morals  and  diseases,  with  the  facts  and  forces 
now  at  work  for  good  and  evil.  Much  might  be  added.  It 
remains  for  those  who  are  interested  to  note  carefully  the 
conclusions  which  these  facts  bring  out.  It  is  necessary  for 
the  Negro  to  consider  all  that  has  been  said,  and  in  the  true 
spirit,  if  he  would  approach  substantial  happiness  and  pros 
perity.  Pessimism  will  accomplish  nothing.  The  study  of 
world-wide  problems  by  the  negroes  will  help  little.  The 
sooner  a  beginning  is  made  at  the  proper  place  the  better 
it  will  be  for  all  concerned.  For  the  whites  the  necessity  is 
a  proper  study  of  conditions,  in  which  the  fundamentals 
are  magnified,  and  a  willingness  to  meet  the  situation  fairly; 
truth  must  be  respected.  For  the  negroes  the  first  duty  is 
to  work  upon  a  platform  of  definite  significance,  to  recog 
nize  their  own  intricate  problems  in  their  simplest  elements. 
Earnestness  and  fidelity,  the  despising  of  sham  superficial 
ities,  a  willingness  to  work  and  meet  the  situation,  hard  as 
it  is,  with  daily  precision — these  will  bring  results. 


CHAPTER  V 
THE  NEGRO  OFFENDER 

WHILE  little  attention  has  been  given  by  students  of  the 
Negro  problems  to  the  home  life  of  the  negroes,  much  has 
been  said  and  written  in  a  general  way  concerning  their 
vices  and  crimes.  The  so-called  criminal  tendency  has  been 
emphasized  without  proper  analysis.  Fragmentary  statis 
tics  have  been  gathered  wherever  available  and  generaliza 
tions  have  been  drawn  from  them.  Exhaustive  and  exten 
sive  data  on  the  subject  are  almost  entirely  wanting  in  so 
far  as  they  have  been  collected  and  tabulated.  Popular 
estimates  and  opinions  have  been  verified  apparently  by  ob 
servation.  The  results  thus  gained  have  not  been  without 
value  nor  have  they  lacked  a  measure  of  accuracy.  But 
searching  inquiries  such  as  would  enable  the  student  to  find 
important  results  concerning  the  most  essential  phases  of 
the  subject  seem  to  have  been  neglected.  What  is  most 
needed  at  the  present  time  is  a  true  insight  into  the  life 
and  environment  of  the  negro  criminal,  information  deal 
ing  exactly  with  the  nature  and  extent  of  the  crimes  com 
mitted,  their  source  and  principal  causes,  probable  tenden 
cies  and  propensities,  with  their  total  effect  upon  race  char 
acter,  and  some  inquiry  into  possible  remedies. 

There  can  be  no  doubt  that  crime  and  vice  among  the 
negroes  in  Southern  communities  have  assumed  alarming 
proportions.  That  they  are  not  decreasing  can  scarcely  be 
doubted  by  those  who  know  the  situation  best.  On  the 
other  hand,  it  is  generally  believed  that  the  extent  of  crim- 
i8a  [486 


487] 


THE  NEGRO  OFFENDER 


inal  offences  among  the  negroes  is  growing  and  that  the 
nature  of  the  most  common  crimes  and  the  prevalence  of 
vice  is  growing  more  serious.  Education  and  contact  with 
the  white  man  under  conditions  that  have  existed  since  the 
war  have  failed  to  make  conditions  essentially  better.  Nor 
is  there  a  more  important  phase  of  the  entire  negro  ques 
tion,  both  in  its  relation  to  race  development  and  to  the 
attitude  of  the  races  toward  each  other,  than  that  involved 
in  the  present  criminal  status  of  the  Negro.  It  will  be  the 
purpose  of  this  chapter  to  inquire  into  the  underlying  con 
ditions  which  are  back  of  the  criminal  record  of  the  mass 
of  negroes  and  to  note  something  of  the  essential  quality 
of  the  offences  shown  in  records  that  are  thoroughly  repre 
sentative.  To  this  end  the  effort  is  made  to  find  the  an 
swers  to  certain  inquiries  that  appear  to  be  fundamental, 
the  results  obtained  from  inquiry  into  public  and  private 
opinion  will  be  given,  and  records  of  smaller  and  larger 
communities  will  be  studied.  The  way  will  then  be  open 
for  the  discussion  of  the  more  general  aspect  and  of  possible 
means  of  ameliorating  present  conditions.  The  conclu 
sions  reached  can  at  best  be  accepted  as  only  tentative  and 
the  chapter,  to  a  great  extent  suggestive  in  its  method, 
should  be  considered  the  beginning  of  a  much  more  exten 
sive  work  on  the  negro  criminal. 

The  conditions  obtaining  in  the  negro  homes  and  the 
standard  of  sexual  morality  reveal  much  of  the  nature  of 
the  soil  from  which  the  vices  commonly  practiced  among 
negroes  arise.  The  Negro's  state  of  being  and  his  atti 
tude  toward  the  community  at  large  constitute  an  impor 
tant  source  from  which  his  aggressive  actions  spring.  To 
know  what  the  negro's  criminal  propensities  are  it  is  neces 
sary  to  understand  much,  not  only  of  his  environment,  but 
of  his  chief  traits  of  character  and  disposition.  A  compar 
ison  of  the  traits  manifested  by  the  negro  slave  with  those 


SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [488 

of  the  present-day  negro  may  give  some  insight  into  pos 
sible  tendencies  at  the  same  time  that  it  will  indicate  some 
thing  of  the  factors  involved  in  the  total  situation. 

The  ante-bellum  negroes  were  noted  for  their  cheerful 
ness  and  gaiety.  Their  good  nature  and  amiability,  their 
good  sense  of  humor  and  lack  of  resentment  made  their 
conduct  especially  agreeable  to  those  with  whom  they  were 
constantly  associated.  Almost  constant  song  and  pleasing 
musings  while  they  were  kept  constantly  at  work  were 
factors  in  the  Negro's  life  that  kept  him  for  the  most  part 
within  the  bounds  of  a  reasonable  standard  of  rectitude. 
The  Negro  of  to-day  is  fast  losing  his  cheerfulness  and  is 
far  less  disposed  to  manifest  the  spirit  of  gaiety  either 
among  his  own  people  or  among  the  whites.  The  negroes 
sing  far  less  while  they  work  than  formerly,  many  of  them 
showing  an  attitude  of  sullenness.  "  Happy  as  a  nigger  " 
is  much  a  truth  of  the  past.  Again,  politeness  and  courtesy 
were  among  the  most  noteworthy  traits  of  the  older  ne 
groes  ;  especially  was  this  true  in  their  attitude  toward  white 
women.  To-day  the  spontaneous  politeness  is  far  less  ob 
servable,  while  in  its  place  are  found  either  rudeness  and 
inconsideration  for  the  welfare  of  others,  or  the  assumed 
politeness  of  the  valet.  Respect  and  reverence  toward  the 
aged  were  marked  characteristics  of  the  old  Negro,  while 
this  attitude  is  now  very  rare  and  perhaps  almost  gone. 
Kindness  and  attention  to  the  sick  and  the  care  of  children 
were  especially  marked  characteristics  of  the  slavery  ne 
groes  both  old  and  young.  Faithfulness  to  master  or  the 
family  of  the  master  constituted  the  fundamental  principle 
of  conduct.  To-day  untrustworthiness  seems  to  be  an  al 
most  differentiating  trait  of  the  Negro.  Again,  the  older 
negroes  could  be  entrusted  with  missions  of  importance, 
and  with  safety.  Rarely  did  they  steal  things  of  value, 
even  when  there  was  every  opportunity  to  do  so.  They 


THE  NEGRO  OFFENDER 

were  always  noted  for  their  petty  thieving,  considering  that 
they  were  entitled  to  a  share  of  the  things  with  which  they 
came  in  contact.  The  marked  contrast  manifested  by  the 
negro  criminal  of  to-day  is  seen  in  his  tendency  toward 
robbery,  bold  burglaries  and  purse-snatching. 

At  the  same  time  the  negroes  of  slavery  days  were  equally 
noted  for  certain  negative  tendencies  which  have  become 
magnified  in  the  negro  of  to-day.  The  proverbial  laziness 
of  the  Negro  in  freedom  has  developed  into  shiftlessness 
and  vagrancy  to  a  large  degree.  The  general  carelessness 
with  which  the  negroes  unrestrained  performed  their  tasks 
is  now  manifest  in  a  lack  of  efficiency  in  the  negro  laborer. 
The  improvidence  of  the  slavery  negro  is  further  revealed 
in  his  lack  of  managing  ability  and  financial  aptitude.  The 
old  negroes  were  skilful  in  inventing  "  tricks  "  by  which 
they  could  deceive  their  masters,  either  in  order  to  obtain  a 
desirable  end  or  to  evade  unpleasant  tasks.  It  was  an 
habitual  practice,  wherever  practical  for  them,  to  feign  sick 
ness,  lameness,  stupidity  or  fear  in  order  to  be  relieved  of 
an  unpleasant  task.  Their  ability  to  conceal  and  evade  was 
almost  an  art,  and  it  was  their  policy,  when  more  than  one 
person  was  involved,  "  never  to  tell."  This  trait  may  be 
observed  much  developed  in  the  present-day  Negro's  ten 
dency  to  conceal  stolen  goods  and  criminals,  as  well  as  in 
the  effective  and  rapid  methods  of  communication  in  mat 
ters  of  racial  importance.  The  oversight  of  the  white  man 
in  slavery  days  kept  the  home  of  the  Negro  in  a  more  or 
ganized  state,  and  the  quarreling  and  fighting  of  man  and 
wife  were  almost  unknown.  Likewise  the  open  lewdness 
of  their  women  was  not  known  in  the  proportions  of  the 
present-day  Negro.  The  more  serious  crime  of  rape  was 
almost  unknown. 

The  traits  already  suggested  reflect  the  extent  to  which 
the  common  traits  of  the  African  Negro  had  developed 


SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [490 

under  the  influence  of  slavery  and  the  new  environment 
The  tendencies  of  the  present-day  Negro,  his  restlessness, 
his  vagrancy  and  loafing,  his  love  of  excitement  and  sensu 
ality,  his  bumptiousness,  the  child  and  savage  elements  in 
his  nature,  still  reflect  forcibly  the  prevalent  traits  of  the 
Negro  in  Africa.  It  is  thus  expedient  to  take  into  consid 
eration  the  fact  that  the  Negro  inherits  these  chief  traits 
and  inherent  tendencies  through  many  generations.  The 
successive  stages  of  his  development  and  the  growing  ten 
dencies  may  then  be  studied  more  satisfactorily  and  his 
present  status  better  understood. 

In  seeking  a  final  estimate  of  the  criminal  negro  certain 
important  questions  suggest  themselves  at  the  same  time 
that  they  are  recognized  as  essentially  those  inquiries  which 
should  begin  the  proper  study  of  the  subject.  First,  what 
is  the  most  marked  criminal  tendency  of  the  present-day 
negro,  and  as  compared  with  the  whites,  what  essential  dif 
ference,  if  any,  is  there  in  the  nature  and  number  of  offences 
committed  by  the  negroes?  Second,  are  the  crimes  com 
mitted  by  the  negro  against  his  own  people  of  the  same  in 
herent  nature  as  those  committed  against  the  whites? 
Third,  what  circumstances,  on  the  one  hand,  and  what 
traits  of  the  negro  on  the  other,  seem  to  be  most  respon 
sible  for  his  present  criminality?  Fourth,  in  particular, 
what  are  the  effects  of  vagrancy  upon  negro  crime,  and 
what  are  the  chief  factors  leading  to  vagrancy?  Is  va 
grancy  in  general  increasing?  Fifth,  what  is  the  effect  of 
the  Negro's  home  life  and  morals  upon  his  criminal  acts? 
Sixth,  what  part  does  disease  and  ill-health  play  in  actions 
of  the  criminal  negroes?  What  proportion  of  negro  crim 
inals  are  "  half-witted  "  or  affected  by  some  form  of  in 
sanity?  Is  insanity  increasing  among  the  negroes?  Sev 
enth,  what  effect  do  charitable  aid  and  reformatory  meas 
ures  have  upon  negro  offenders  as  compared  with  the 


49I]  THE  NEGRO  OFFENDER 

whites?  Eighth,  what  is  the  best  method  of  treating  negro 
offenders  and  what  is  the  most  effective  method  of  check 
ing  the  criminal  nature,  if  it  be  such?  Can  the  Negro  be 
saved  from  a  tendency  which  his  present  status  seems  to 
indicate. 

The  consensus  of  opinion  held  by  the  general  students 
of  the  Negro  may  be  given  very  briefly.  Many  careful 
students  believe  that  there  is  no  marked  tendency  toward 
criminality  in  the  negroes  distinct  from  the  whites  except 
that  of  rape,  while  some  do  not  think  this  to  be  a  distinct 
tendency.  Others  hold  that  stealing  and  adultery  are  the 
primarily  criminal  tendencies,  while  still  others  add  gam 
bling  in  its  adapted  form  and  brutal  jealousies  with  their 
consequences.  Again,  there  are  many  observant  men  in  the 
South  who  believe  vagrancy  is  the  one  characteristic  trait 
growing  out  of  a  shiftless  nature,  and  that  all  offences 
against  persons  and  property  grow  out  of  this.  Drunken 
ness  is  considered  one  of  the  chief  causes  of  the  direct 
aggressive  criminal  acts  and  may  almost  be  said  to  be  a 
special  tendency  of  the  negroes  of  the  present  generation. 
Except  in  the  specific  crimes  mentioned,  it  is  not  believed 
that  the  Negro  is  essentially  worse  than  a  corresponding 
class  of  whites  with  similar  lack  of  religious  and  social  re 
straints.  The  number  of  offences  far  outnumbers  those  of 
the  whites  and  the  rate  per  capita  is  very  much  higher  than 
among  the  whites,  due  largely  to  ignorance  emotions 
and  passions,  traits  considered  instinctive  by  many 
who  have  had  large  dealings  with  negroes.  The  negro 
would  prefer  to  steal  from  the  whites  but  does  not  hesitate 
to  steal  from  members  of  his  own  race.  Among  the  chief 
circumstances  which  are  believed  to  lead  directly  to  the 
criminality  of  the  Negro  are  idleness  and  the  use  of  intox 
icating  drinks  and  general  ignorance.  Education  as  it  is 
understood  by  the  average  negro  is  also  considered  a  prime 


!88     SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [492 

factor  in  the  vagrancy  habit.  Perhaps,  too,  the  Negro  has 
not  become  thoroughly  adjusted  to  new  industrial  condi 
tions.  The  willingness  of  negro  women  to  support  negro 
men  in  idleness  is  an  important  factor.  The  chief  traits 
which  lead  to  the  committing  of  offences  are  thought  to  be 
the  emotional  nature  of  the  negro  with  his  sensual  procliv 
ities.  For  the  most  part  vagrancy  is  thought  to  be  on  the 
increase  to  a  marked  degree,  although  there  are  those  who 
do  not  believe  that  it  is  increasing  at  all.  Home  life  and 
good  morals  are  as  essential  to  good  negro  citizens  as  for 
white  men.  Nurtured  with  some  hatred  toward  the  whites, 
taught  no  morals,  with  a  fanatical  religion,  itself  leading  to 
erratic  actions,  with  little  regard  for  common  decency,  and 
bred  in  filth  and  adultery,  the  negro  is  considered  peculiarly 
liable  to  crime.  The  reformed  negro  criminal  is  rarely 
seen,  and  it  is  well  known  that  the  negro  offender  is  not 
cured  by  the  ordinary  punishments.  A  general  feeling  of 
hopelessness  is  predominant  when  the  subject  of  the  negro 
offender  is  to  be  discussed.  Prevention  and  segregation 
with  industrial  education  are  suggested.  These  opinions 
while  not  drawn  from  conclusions  made  from  accurate 
data,  nevertheless  are  important  in  the  consideration  of  the 
general  aspect  of  the  subject.  They  represent  much  care 
ful  observation  extending  over  many  years.  There  are 
many  exceptions  to  the  current  beliefs  both  conservative 
and  radical  in  their  directions.  Further  answer  to  these 
inquiries  must  be  gained  from  the  study  of  records. 

While  the  records  of  negro  crime  in  the  larger  cities  con 
stitute  important  evidence,  the  Negro  at  large  should  not 
be  judged  by  these  alone.  For  the  negroes  in  the  cities  con 
stitute  a  special  case  in  which  conditions  make  them  more 
liable  to  the  ordinary  offences  and  arrests.  The  average 
negro  is  found  in  the  smaller  towns  throughout  the  South 
ern  States;  he  is  neither  so  industrious  and  diligent  as  the 


THE  NEGRO  OFFENDER  ^9 

country  darkey  nor  so  shiftless  and  reckless  as  the  city 
negro.  His  environment,  too,  represents  the  average  con 
ditions  of  the  mass  of  negroes  in  the  Southern  States. 
First,  then,  will  be  given  results  obtained  from  the  study 
of  the  criminal  dockets  in  the  smaller  communities  investi 
gated,  showing  both  the  general  and  the  specific  nature  of 
the  offences. 

Although  the  negro  population  of  the  communities  studied 
averages  only  a  little  more  than  forty  per  cent  of  the  total, 
the  negroes  commit,  nevertheless,  eighty  per  cent  of  the 
total  number  of  offences  recorded  on  the  criminal  dockets. 
The  offence  most  commonly  recorded,  regardless  of  sex,  is 
disorderly  conduct,  by  which  is  meant  general  misconduct 
in  public  places;  drunkenness  is  the  second  most  common 
offence,  and  fighting  is  the  third  in  numerical  proportion. 
If  the  offences  of  the  males  be  considered  alone,  disorderly 
conduct  is  most  frequent;  if  the  offences  of  the  females  be 
taken  alone,  fighting  is  the  most  common.  The  most  com 
mon  offences  of  the  males  are  further,  drunkenness,  fight 
ing,  assault  and  battery,  gaming,  retailing  liquor,  and  va 
grancy.  The  list  of  crimes  most  commonly  committed  by 
negro  women  includes  drunkenness,  lewdness,  profanity, 
promiscuity,  quarreling  and  fighting,  disorderly  conduct, 
assault,  the  keeping  of  bad  houses,  gaming,  retailing  whis 
key,  and  vagrancy,  especially  at  night. 

A  prominent  fact  is  observed  in  the  lack  of  white  women 
convicted  and  the  large  number  of  negro  women.  As  a 
rule  there  are  few  cases  recorded  against  white  women  in 
the  towns  having  a  population  from  two  to  fifteen  thou 
sand  inhabitants.  Exceptions  are  comparatively  rare.  The 
percentage  of  negro  women  is  apparently  increasing,  and 
reference  to  the  list  of  common  offences  given  above  indi 
cates  the  serious  nature  of  their  crimes.  In  a  number  of 
towns  the  chief  offence  is  drunkenness;  in  others  prostitu- 


I90     SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [494 

tion  seems  to  have  been  established  so  firmly  that  it  is  diffi 
cult  to  diminish  it.  In  a  town  where  one  hundred  and  sixty- 
three  women  were  convicted  during  the  year,  fifty-five  were 
prostitutes,  fifty  were  convicted  for  fighting,  twenty-eight 
for  drunkenness,  twenty  for  bad  language,  eight  for  petit 
larceny,  one  for  selling  cocaine  and  one  for  discharging  fire 
arms.  Similar  details  may  be  noted  in  the  tables  that  follow. 
Some  of  the  women  have  been  convicted  for  as  many  as 
five  different  crimes  or  offences  during  a  single  year,  and 
for  the  same  offence  a  number  of  times.  And  not  only  do 
the  negro  women  play  a  prominent  part  in  the  criminal 
records  themselves,  but  they  encourage  the  men  in  various 
ways  to  commit  offences  against  the  persons  of  others. 
Jealousy  of  an  insane  sort  is  often  the  ruling  passion.  There 
are,  as  a  rule,  in  each  community  a  number  of  notorious 
characters  in  this  respect.  They  quarrel  and  fight  in  their 
own  section  of  the  town  or  when  they  come  in  contact  in 
other  parts  of  the  community.  Knives  and  razors  are  not 
infrequently  prominent  weapons.  But  the  special  character 
istic  of  these  quarrels  is  the  vile  abuse  and  profanity  that  is 
exchanged  with  reckless  proficiency.  Nor  do  they  spare 
the  officers  who  arrest  them.  A  case  has  been  noted  in 
which  such  a  negro  woman  cursed  the  judge  of  the  local 
court  more  excitedly  at  each  successive  sentence  until  the 
sixth  fine  had  been  placed  upon  her  for  this  offence.  Noth 
ing  seems  to  have  a  restraining  effect  upon  these  women, 
who  appear  as  raving,  angry  maniacs.  As  a  factor  in  the 
race  life  this  feature  is  coming  to  be  a  very  serious  problem. 
The  criminal  records  from  one  town  of  each  general 
class  studied  may  illustrate  further  the  exact  nature  and 
proportions  of  the  offences  committed  by  blacks  and  whites ; 
these  records  do  not  differ  essentially  from  the  majority 
of  other  towns  studied.  The  first  table  represents  Oxford, 


THE  NEGRO  OFFENDER 


Mississippi,   with   a   population   of    1650   whites   and    525 
negroes.      (1906). 


Name  of  Offence 

Whites 

Blacks 

Males 

Males 

Females 

2 

7 

22 

2 
2 

7 
i 

2 

3 

10 

6 

37 
i 

3 

/ 

Disorderly  conduct  ••  ••••••  •••••« 

3 

5 

i 

2 

4 

2 

I 

13 

i 
i 

Riding  on  sidewalk    .................... 

4 

I 

8 

3 

i 

i 
I 

Operating  without  license  ............... 

2 
I 

i 

Total  

65 

89 

21 

192 


SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO 


[496 


The  next  table  represents  the  total  record  for  the  same  year 
of  Covington,  Georgia,  in  which  disorderly  conduct  includes 
various  minor  offences  not  recorded  separately.  There  are 
in  the  town  no  less  than  1950  whites  and  800  negroes. 


Name  of  Offence 

Whites 

Blacks 

Males 

Males 

Femalei 

33 
13 
3 

2 

11 

6 

2 
2 

n 
I 

3 

Disturbing  the  peace  ••••••««•»•••«•  •••• 

I 

3 

3 

2 

I 
2 

7 

7 

j0tal  

59 

117 

24 

Biloxi,  Mississippi,  a  larger  town,  presents  some  excep 
tions,  especially  in  the  proportion  of  white  women  convicted 
of  offences.  The  records  are  kept  much  more  in  detail  and 
are  for  the  year  1908.  A  study  of  this  table  will  indicate 
the  relative  proportions  and  kinds  of  offences  committed  by 
the  whites  and  blacks.  A  little  more  than  twenty-five  per 
cent  of  the  population  is  colored. 


497] 


THE  NEGRO  OFFENDER 


193 


Name  of  Offence  Committed 

Whites 

Blacks 

Males 

Females 

Males 

Females 

Affray  

10 

6 

5 

10 

4 
II 
I 

6 

5 
9 

' 

2 
I 

2 
51 
•    19 

6 

i 

2 

Drunk  

12 
H 

73 
9 

7 

24 

34 
i 

Neglect  of  children  

2 
2 

4 

i 

i 

2 

4 
31 
4 

29 

2 

2 

Rape  

Stabbing  

I 

2 
I 

2 

4 

2 
30 

Carrying  concealed  weapons*  •  . 

2 

3 
37 

2 

16 
i 
i 
i 
3 
19 
ii 

I 

4 
14 

H 

I 

Bestiality  

Disturbing  public  worship   .... 

2 

5 

Total  

I64           i           65 

215 

142 

This  record  is  much  larger  than  the  average  and  is  given  by 
the  chief  of  police.  For  1907  there  were  703  arrests,  for 
1906,  421,  and  for  1905,  411,  while  the  first  six  months  of 
1909  is  much  less  than  half  of  the  preceding  year,  with  only 
five  per  cent  of  drunks,  owing  to  the  prohibition  laws.  One 
negro  youth  was  lynched  in  November,  1908,  for  assault 
upon  a  young  white  girl  of  fifteen. 


194 


SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO 


[498 


Before  giving  records  showing  the  Negro's  criminal  acts 
in  the  cities,  one  other  table,  representing  a  still  larger  town, 
will  be  given.  Columbus,  Georgia,  combines  industrial  con 
ditions  with  considerable  manufacturing  interests  and  agri 
culture.  It  will  be  seen  that  disorderly  conduct  includes  a 
majority  of  the  misdemeanors. 


Name  of  Offence  Committed 

Whites 

Blacks 

Males 

Females 

Males 

Females 

10 

5 

3<> 

18 

2 

3 

12 
350 
750 

4 

8 
4 

3 

201 

604 

3 

Drunk  

36 
181 

60 
300 

Assault  and  battery  •••••    .... 

10 

6 

2 

I 

8 
I46 

II 

62 

12 
II 
13 

5 
Si 

Carrying  concealed  weapons.  •  • 

Gaming  .............    ...... 

Total  

919 

227 

1283 

378 

The  inconsistencies  and  inaccuracies  of  all  such  records 
are  apparent  when  a  searching  investigation  is  made  into 
the  conditions  existing  in  the  smaller  towns  and  those  having 
a  population  of  less  than  thirty  thousand.  The  records  are 
carelessly  kept  and  cases  are  recorded  with  little  accuracy; 
further,  it  is  difficult  to  separate  the  whites  from  the  black, 
since  they  are  not  usually  distinguished  on  the  records,  and 
the  memory  of  the  court  must  suffice  or  that  of  some  officer. 
Again,  many  offences  occur  that  are  not  taken  into  account 


THE  NEGRO  OFFENDER  IO,:j 

by  the  authorities.  Trivial  offences  cause  many  arrests. 
Local  conditions  have  much  to  do  with  the  strictness  of 
municipal  regulations  and  their  enforcement.  Some  offences 
quite  common  in  one  community  may  be  almost  wanting 
entirely  in  another,  due  apparently  to  suggestion  or  past 
occurrences.  Vagrancy  is  one  of  the  chief  sources  of  the 
Negro's  unfavorable  record,  yet  comparatively  few  cases 
are  found  against  him.  The  negro  cares  little  for  dbnvic- 
tion.  Even  in  the  smaller  communities  many  are  convicted 
during  a  single  year  from  three  to  five  times,  especially  is 
this  true  of  selling  whiskey;  nor  do  the  fines,  aggregating 
from  one  to  five  hundred  dollars,  deter  them  in  every  case. 
Many  negroes  convicted  of  offences  in  1905  were  convicted 
of  the  same  in  1906  and  1907;  many  are  found  on  the 
dockets  for  several  successive  years.  Punishment  thus 
seems  to  be  no  adequate  restraint,  and  even  less  than  the 
law,  other  influences  affect  him.  A  negro  had  assaulted 
another  with  an  iron  bar ;  as  he  was  led  away  by  the  officer, 
although  he  knew  his  victim  was  probably  fatally  injured, 
he  laughed,  joked  and  sang,  nor  was  he  under  the  influence 
of  drink.  Many  similar  cases  are  recorded.  Another  negro 
who  was  sentenced  to  the  gallows,  played  a  "  coon  song  " 
on  his  guitar  while  a  jail  comrade  was  being  executed  a 
few  yards  away.  Few  of  the  capital  crimes  are  found  on 
the  records  studied;  many  of  these  occur  in  the  rural  dis 
tricts  at  public  gatherings  and  entertainments  given  by  the 
negroes,  hence  do  not  come  under  the  town's  jurisdiction. 
Little  can  be  learned  as  to  the  ages  of  the  offenders  from 
the  records,  although  the  average  opinion  represents  the 
average  age  to  be  about  twenty-three  years.  Nor  are  the 
numbers  sufficiently  large  to  enable  one  to  draw  conclusion 
as  to  the  months  in  which  the  negroes  are  most  commonly 
arrested.  But  further  generalizations  must  be  given  in  the 
conclusions  which  follow  at  the  end  of  the  chapter. 


196 


SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO 


[500 


Keeping  in  mind  the  total  proportions  and  apparent  ten 
dencies  of  negro  offenders  as  given  above,  and  also  the  rela 
tive  kinds  of  misdemeanors  as  they  are  represented  in  the 
detailed  tables,  it  will  be  well  to  compare  similar  reports 
from  the  larger  cities  of  the  South,  giving,  first,  the  general 
figures,  then  the  more  detailed.  The  records  are  for  the 
year  1908. 


Whites 

Colored 

Males 

Females 

Total 

Males 

Females 

Total 

Atlanta  Ga  

r.oid 

CQ7 

C.C2I 

8,211 

2  74.O 

lo.cci 

Memphis,  Tenn  
Nashville,  Tenn  

D»w*^ 

2,816 
5»322 

192 
596 

3O1" 
3,008 
5,918 

2,638 
4,132 

521 
1,896 

iw»D3* 

6^028 

1  1  082 

Birmingham,  Ala.  •  . 
Galveston,  Tex  

2,138 
1,440 
2,883 

243 

U3 
I  to 

2,381 

1.553 
3,042 

2,454 
523 
3,661; 

794 
276 
1,363 

3,248 
70.9 

5,082 

8ca 

c8 

QI7 

i  j.i  i 

380 

I  701 

Charleston,  S.  C  
Columbia,  S.  C  

1,266 

1*552 

D" 

55 
•39 

1,321 
1,690 

2,094 
2,700 

£ 

2,6  10 
3.302 

While  the  colored  population  of  the  cities  just  cited  is  a  little 
less  than  one-third,  the  negroes  are  held  for  more  than  fifty 
per  cent  of  the  crimes.  Atlanta,  with  a  colored  population 
of  about  one-third,  has  nearly  twice  as  many  negroes  on 
the  criminal  records  as  the  whites.  Noteworthy  also  is  the 
large  number  of  negro  women,  as  also  at  Savannah  and 
Nashville.  For  the  year  previous  (1907)  Atlanta's  record 
showed  a  total  of  24,882,  or  8,810  more  than  in  1908,  the 
decrease  due  largely  to  prohibition;  in  1907  there  were  12,- 
455  cases  of  disorderly  conduct  and  6,508  drunks,  as  op 
posed  to  8,890  disorderly  conducts  and  2,650  drunks  for 
1908.  The  decrease  was  thus  large  in  these  causes.  In  1907 
15,207  of  the  total  number  were  negroes  and  9,675 


THE  NEGRO  OFFENDER 


197 


were  white.  In  1906  there  were  in  all  21,702  cases,  or 
3,180  less  than  in  1907.  To  see  the  enormity  of  the  crim 
inal  record  of  the  city  in  1907  one  but  has  to  contrast  it 
with  that  of  Memphis,  Tennessee,  which  had  a  total  of  only 
5,122,  although  Memphis  has  some  twenty-five  thousand 
more  inhabitants  than  Atlanta.  The  climax  in  Atlanta  was 
reached  in  September  in  the  riot.  Since  that  time  the  arrests 
have  been  fewer,  although  they  are  the  largest  of  any  city 
in  the  South  except  New  Orleans.  A  part  of  this,  however, 
is  due  to  the  fact  that  minor  offences  are  all  included ;  i  ,463 
were  arrested  on  "  suspicion."  A  further  study  of  the  situ 
ation  in  Atlanta  may  be  found  in  the  following  table,  which 
shows  the  relative  ages  of  persons  arrested,  arranged  by 
race  and  sex : 


Age  of  Persons  Arrested 

Whites 

Colored 

Males 

Females 

Males 

Females 

Under  1  2  years  .......    .....           .    . 

66 
235 
575 
1941 

1303 
609 
285 

6 

7 
65 
274 
105 
37 
J3 

243 
604 
1566 
3705 
1354 
502 

237 

21 
60 

554 
1096 
407 

!54 
48 

Between  40  and  50  years  .............. 

From  this  table  it  will  be  seen  that  out  of  the  16,072  ar 
rests,  3,992  were  under  twenty  years  of  age  and  1,242  were 
under  fifteen  years.  The  average  of  whites  is  higher  than 
for  the  negroes.  Only  about  one-fourth  of  the  negroes  are 


SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO 


[502 


above  thirty  years  of  age,  while  nearly  half  of  the  whites 
are  more  than  thirty.  Nearly  one-third  of  the  negro  males 
are  under  twenty  years,  while  only  a  little  more  than  one- 
sixth  of  the  whites  are  less  than  twenty.  In  the  record  of 
Memphis  for  the  same  year  only  one  person  was  arrested 
under  ten  years  and  only  899  under  twenty;  this  takes  a 
total  of  three  thousand  from  the  record  of  Atlanta  made  on 
the  same  basis.  A  similar  table  showing  the  ages  of  per 
sons  arrested  in  Nashville  may  be  compared: 


Age  of  Persons  Arrested 

Whites 

Colored 

Males 

Females 

Males 

Females 

938 
1897 
1087 
960 
440 

177 

222 
"3 

55 
29 

1200 

1821 
605 
264 
242 

757 
853 
197 
60 
29 

Between  20  and  30  years  .............. 

From  this  table  the  same  general  tendency  is  indicated.  Of 
the  negro  males  less  than  one-fourth  are  above  thirty  years, 
as  compared  with  nearly  one-half  of  the  whites;  of  the 
negro  females  a  little  less  than  one-sixth  are  over  thirty 
years  of  age,  as  compared  with  one-third  of  the  whites. 
Again,  of  the  negro  males  nearly  one-third  are  under  twenty 
years  of  age  as  compared  with  a  little  more  than  one-fifth 
of  the  whites.  A  striking  feature  of  Nashville's  record  is 
found  in  the  fact  that  the  excess  of  negroes  over  whites  is 
due  to  the  large  number  of  negro  women;  the  white  males 
exceed  the  colored. 


503] 


THE  NEGRO  OFFENDER 


199 


From  the  general  reports  it  would  seem  that  the  months 
of  July  and  August  furnish  the  greatest  amount  of  arrests ; 
this  is  usually  explained  as  being  the  result  of  the  extreme 
hot  weather.  Other  causes,  however,  enter  into  the  con 
sideration.  The  following  tables  will  show  the  relative 
numbers  for  the  months  as  reported  in  some  of  the  cities: 


Nashville,  Tenn 

Whites 

Males 

Females 

'469 
436 
507 
5H 
3«6 

359 
4i3 

V 

395 
439 
466 

% 

53 

£ 

44 
60 
64 
54 
42 

31 

37 

March  

April   , 

May  

Tulv.. 

December  

Colored 


Males 

Females 

263 

73 

306 

103 

365 

176 

301 

193 

379 

209 

332 

203 

384 

201 

445 

223 

366 

134 

343 

147 

318 

123 

330 

III 

For  the  colored,  both  male  and  female,  the  greatest  number 
of  arrests  was  in  August.  With  the  total  whites,  March, 
April  and  September  each  exceeds  August.  A  marked  fall 
ing  off  of  the  negro  females  in  September  is  observable, 
while  there  is  little  variation  in  any  of  the  months  in  the 
case  of  white  women.  With  the  negro  males,  July,  the  next 
highest,  still  falls  considerably  below  August.  March  and 
April  for  the  white  males  are  considerably  in  excess  of  the 
other  months.  Compare  these  relative  numbers  with  those 
of  other  cities. 


200     SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [504 


Memphis,  Tenn 

Whites 

Colored 

Males 

Females 

Males 

Females 

220 

333 
252 
158 
209 
167 

222 

251 
247 
222 
262 
268 

12 

6 
5 
H 
25 
9 
3« 
8 
27 
7 
34 
'4 

33i 
176 
250 
188 
226 
239 

2IO 
I90 
I90 

H7 

270 

216 

H 

42 

46 

8 

70 

1? 

26 

38 
35 

March  

April  

May            

Tulv.. 

This  table  does  not  agree  with  the  apparent  tendencies 
shown  in  the  foregoing  one.  For  the  negroes,  August  re 
ports  fewer  arrests  than  any  of  the  several  months,  January, 
March,  May,  June,  July,  November  and  December.  Espec 
ially  is  the  number  of  negro  women  small  in  August.  For 
the  negro  males  January  furnishes  the  most  arrest  and  for 
the  females  July.  For  the  whites  February  is  first  for  the 
males  and  July  for  the  females,  although  nothing  can  be 
gained  from  the  differences  shown.  Again,  compare  these 
tables  with  a  similar  one  representing  Macon,  Georgia. 


505] 


THE  NEGRO  OFFENDER 


201 


Macon,  Georgia 

Whites 

Colored 

Males 

Females 

Males 

Females 

60 
88 
42 
69 

% 

65 
73 
72 
27 

6 

'°5 
149 

H3 
89 

102 
119 

155 
104 

78 
89 
84 

43 

18 

29 

;  n 

33 
47 
34 
39 
42 

44 

10 

6 

March  

8 

2 

7 

8 
ii 

2 
I 

5 
i 

April   

May  

Tuly  . 

October  •  

November  

For  the  colored  males  July  has  the  largest  number  and  for 
the  females  June,  while  February  and  April  are  next.  For 
the  whites  April  and  February  are  largest.  September,  Oc 
tober,  November  and  December  appear  noticeably  less  than 
the  four  months  preceding,  in  the  case  of  negro  males. 
Savannah,  Georgia,  reports  July  to  exceed  all  other  months 
by  a  very  marked  margin,  more  for  the  negroes  than  for 
the  whites.  For  the  whites  August  is  second  and  for  the 
negroes  December.  Columbus  reports  the  same  relative 
figures.  Other  towns  report  December  and  January  as  the 
leading  months.  It  will  thus  appear  that  the  curve  is  far 
from  regular  and  that  little  can  be  gained  from  the  reports 
of  so  limited  a  number  of  criminals.  The  records  do  not 
always  bear  out  the  conclusions  given  by  the  police  and 
other  officers. 

The  detailed  examination  of  the  records  of  the  largest 
cities  gives  a  qualitative  study  of  the  relative  offences  com 
mitted  by  the  negroes  and  whites  in  larger  numbers,  and 
may  be  compared  with  those  of  the  smaller  towns  studied. 
These  reports,  however,  are  very  difficult  to  obtain  and  rep- 


202     SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [506 

resent  much  labor.     Charleston,  S.  C,  makes  its  report  thus 
fully: 


Name  of  Offence  Committed 

Whites 

Colored 

Males 

Females 

Males 

Females 

Assault  .            

26 
H 
3 
39 

38 
33 

12 

I 
I 
89 
2 

6 

1 

8 
288 
369 
56 
166 

2 

9 
ii 

I 

5 
i 
i 
5' 

4 
3 
33 

Arson  ...................    .......... 

I 

2 

19 
I 

1 

80 

66 
42 
132 

5 
4 

2 
15 

97 
'37 
15 
47 

I 

5 
i 

6 

5 

i 

174 

2 

14 
10 

6 
3 
13 

5 

4 

2 

Gambling     •     •••      •••    ••• 

2 

7 
3 
5 
3 

2 

2 

i 

2 

I 

Homicide    .      . 

Insane  .......    

3 

6 

2 

Interfering  with  officer  ...........    .  .  .  . 

2 

Keeping  gambling  houses  ••  •• 

72 
15 

Petty  larceny  •••     ..•••..••••••••••«• 

112 

28 

3 

i 

29 
14 

Grand  larceny  

2 
2 

4 
2 

53 
ii 

i 

9 

22 

i 

2 

50?] 


THE  NEGRO  OFFENDER 


203 


Name  of  Offence  Committed 

Whites 

Colored 

Males 

Females 

Males 

Females 

Obstructing  streets  ...••••              •   ••• 

2 

4 
I 
i 
i 

2 

I 
48 

Obstructing  sidewalks  .......    ........ 

Obstructing  officer  in  discharge  of  duty  •  • 

i 

Rape   

Attempted  rape  .......    ............. 

I 

95 

i 

Running  automobile  without  light  «••••• 

3 
ii 

3 
190 
i 
3 

Riding  bicycle  without  light  «•••     •«... 

Selling  lottery  tickets   ....  «...  ......  •• 

' 

Selling  vegetables  without  license  ...... 

3 

5 

12 

I 

3 

5 

5 

2 

I 

38i 

5 

2 

In  addition  to  these  offences  a  number  were  detained  for 
witnesses,  eighty-five  negroes  were  "  found  sick "  and 
sixty- four  whites,  one  hundred  and  ten  negroes  were  "  found 
wounded  "  and  fourteen  whites,  fifty-three  negroes  were 
"  found  injured "  and  thirty-two  whites,  and  eleven  ne 
groes  and  two  whites  were  found  dead.  Besides  these  there 
were  a  few  others,  including  some  minor  offences,  than 
those  recorded  and  a  number  of  accidental  deaths.  From 
the  above  table  it  will  be  seen  that  the  negroes  exceed  the 
whites,  in  a  large  degree,  in  disorderly  conduct,  disorderly 
persons,  drunk  and  disorderly,  gambling,  larceny,  selling 
lottery  tickets  and  breach  of  peace.  But  the  proportion  of 
whites  "  drunk  "  is  large,  as  also  with  "  drunk  and  dis 
orderly."  The  whites  exceed  in  homicides,  and  one  at- 


204     SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [508 

tempted  rape  is  recorded  against  the  whites,  against  one 
attempted  and  two  committed  by  the  negroes.  The  popu 
lation  of  Charleston  is  approximately  equally  divided  be 
tween  the  two  races;  Birmingham,  Alabama,  has  less  than 
one-third  of  its  total  population  colored.  The  following 
table  shows  the  relative  proportions  and  natures  of  the 
offences  in  that  city.  The  report  transcribed  from  the 
original  record  is  for  the  year  1908. 


Name  of  Offence  Committed 

Whites 

Colored 

Males 

Females 

Males 

Females 

3H 
32 
93 
6 
76 
24 
537 

3ll 

25 

«5 

37 

263 
79 
450 
15 

221 

I56 
338 
48 

17 

93 
4 
7» 
3 
7 
i 

207 
207 

15 

2 

7 

Drunk  

29 
70 

Disorderly  conduct    ««•«  ..•• 

3 

1*6 

Seduction    .......................... 

3 
H 

Rape                    • 

5 

2 

6 

14 

3 

290 
210 

52 
7 

21 

3 

3i 
J7 
79 
181 
286 
169 

46 

10 

i 

7 
29 
i 

112 

5 
13 
i 

Carrying*  concealed  weapons   .......... 

i 
8 
i 

63 

Violating  prohibition  law*  •«•»•  ........ 

21 

i 

1 

Bestiality  •    ......................... 

*? 

This  table  is  more  nearly  representative  of  the   average 
gained  from  the  whole  study  than  any  other;  noticeable, 


509]  THE  NEGRO  OFFENDER  2O$ 

however,  is  the  excess  of  whites  who  were  arrested  as 
"  drunk,"  explained  in  part  to  the  number  of  laboring 
whites  in  Birmingham.  A  striking  feature  of  the  total 
record  is  the  large  number  of  negro  women  and  the  nature 
of  their  offences.  Note  especially  the  number  of  drunks 
and  vagrants  and  those  charged  with  disorderly  conduct. 
Shooting  and  carrying  concealed  weapons  are  included,  be 
sides  six  murders.  The  cases  of  larceny  by  the  ne'groes 
are  much  in  excess  of  the  whites.  Compare  this  table 
with  the  record  of  the  Fulton  County  prison  or  the  "  tower  " 
of  Atlanta,  Ga.  This  number  represents  in  a  large  meas 
ure  the  prisoners  who  are  brought  over  from  the  city  court 
and  those  from  the  county  at  large,  of  which  there  is  only 
a  small  number.  The  report,  made  from  the  private  rec 
ords,  includes  2,952  cases,  of  which  1,882  are  negroes  and 
i, 068  are  white.  This  is  the  total  number  entered  for  the 
year  1908. 


206     SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [5IO 


Name  of  Offence  Committed 

Whites 

Males 

Females 

150 
158 
48 

47 
18 

8 
119 

35 

5i 

35 
10 
81 

4 
ii 
10 

'5 
ii 

9 
9 

2 

6 
ii 

8 
5 

Vagrancy  ••••••    •»••    *  .  •  .        *  • 

Fortrerv  • 

2 
2 

Stabbing  

6 

I 

8 

Seduction    ••••••  •••••  ••••  ...... 

Robbery    

i 
i 

2 

Affray  

3 

2 

164 
I 
I 

Rape  ...        

' 

Perjury        ....»    •   •    ................ 

Riot  

Colored 


Males     Females 


282 

310 

64 

80 

13 

18 


1 

35 
25 
63 


5 

14 
7 
3 
5 
3 
3 

6 

2 

294 

7 

2 


38 

43 

19 

14 

i 

5 

22 

20 

I 


4 

7 

6 

20 

8 


A  careful  study  of  the  foregoing  tables  will  show  that  it 
is  difficult  to  fix  the  exact  criminal  status  of  the  Negro; 
the  same  difficulty  is  found  in  the  further  study  of  criminal 
records  and  in  private  research.  Contradictions  and  excep 
tions  are  numerous,  so  that  it  is  doubtful  if  the  exact  rela 
tions  can  be  determined  at  the  present  stage  of  our  knowl 
edge.  Certain  general  facts,  however,  seem  to  warrant  a 
number  of  apparent  conclusions.  The  total  criminality  of 
the  Negro  is  undoubtedly  greater  than  that  of  the  whites. 


THE  NEGRO  OFFENDER 


207 


The  negro  exceeds  most  in  general  disorderly  conduct,  lar 
ceny,  and  offences  which,  in  themselves,  are  minor.  The 
negroes  exceed  in  homicide  and  commit  the  majority  of 
rapes.  In  the  cities  the  sexual  immoralities  are  revealed  in 
the  records.  The  large  proportion  of  negro  women  con 
victed  and  the  flagrant  nature  of  their  offences  is  note 
worthy.  The  average  age  of  the  negro  offender  is  consid 
erably  less  than  that  of  the  whites.  The  summer  months 
apparently  furnish  the  greatest  number  of  arrests. 

Judging  from  the  records  alone,  it  will  be  seen  that  if 
the  great  number  of  offences  for  which  the  Negro  is  appre 
hended  which  rank  as  minor  offences  be  taken  away,  his 
criminal  record  will  not  appear  nearly  so  bad.  Indeed,  in 
many  of  the  records,  if  statistics  be  used  to  their  full  extent, 
it  is  possible  to  make  out  a  worse  case  against  the  whites 
than  against  the  blacks.  The  wife-beating  so  commonly 
spoken  of  as  peculiar  to  the  negroes  does  not  appear  to  a 
large  degree.  The  whites,  in  consideration  of  the  total 
proportion  of  white  criminals  to  the  black,  have  a  large  per 
centage  of  drunks  ;  thus  the  negroes  may  not  easily  be  said 
to  be  essentially  predisposed  to  drink,  when  all  the  factors 
are  considered.  The  fact  may  be  possible,  but  it  is  not 
proved  that,  other  things  being  equal,  it  is  so.  Gambling 
is  not  the  Negro's  offence  alone.  And  when  his  social  status 
is  considered,  it  is  not  surprising  that  the  Negro  commits 
so  large  a  number  of  crimes.  Again,  the  negroes  are  often 
arrested  for  very  trivial  offences  and  brought  to  trial  indis 
criminately.  The  negroes  often  complain  that  "  if  a  nigger 
had  a  done  that,  he  sho'  would  a  been  'rested,"  and  with 
some  reason.  For  many  times  undue  severity  is  manifested, 
and  the  white  man  is  often  too  careless  in  sentencing  him 
in  both  small  and  larger  crimes.  He  is  too  often  not  given 
a  fair  trial;  he  is  rushed  through  court  in  many  instances 
as  a  matter  of  fact,  with  very  little  due  consideration.  In 


208     SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [512 

every  community  it  is  the  lowest  stratum  of  society  that 
produces  the  most  crime,  and  why  should  the  Negro  be  an 
exception?  There  are  those  who  complain  that  the  whole 
conduct  of  the  Negro  is  in  the  hands  of  the  white  man  and 
he  has  no  sort  of  chance  to  escape.  And  summing  up  these 
views  there  are  those  who  maintain  that  the  criminal  pro 
pensities  of  the  Negro  do  not  constitute  an  essentially  unique 
phase  of  the  problem. 

But  there  are  other  considerations.  Careful  research  and 
a  thorough  insight  into  conditions  reveal  many  other  fea 
tures.  The  results  are  not  pleasing,  but  they  are  neverthe 
less  important  in  the  total  consideration  and  must  be  faced 
impartially.  A  comparison  of  the  records  with  the  actual 
conditions,  gained  from  exhaustive  inquiry,  shows  that  many 
offences  which  would  be  considered  criminal  if  committed 
by  the  whites  are  excused  entirely  to  the  negroes.  Theft 
and  sex  immorality  are  the  two  most  flagrant  vices  of  the 
negro ;  and  yet  comparatively  few  cases  are  brought  against 
the  negroes  for  these  offences,  especially  in  the  average 
smaller  communities.  The  Negro  is  often  abused  by  the 
white  man  and  "  let  go  "  for  his  petit  larceny,  so  accus 
tomed  is  he  to  it;  the  negroes  themselves  in  their  lodges 
and  churches  make  sometimes  a  formal  reprimand  but  they 
do  not  always  report  to  the  law.  The  white  race  assumes 
that  sexual  immorality  among  the  negroes  is  a  necessary  evil 
and  few  are  subjected  to  the  law.  Vagrancy,  too,  is  the 
source  of  many  offences,  and  the  negroes  offend  markedly 
in  this  respect,  but  comparatively  few  cases  are  made  against 
them  for  vagrancy  compared  with  the  total  number.  The 
laws  are  becoming  more  stringent,  and  the  sooner  the  idle 
hordes  of  negroes,  who  endanger  their  own  race  by  making 
the  white  man's  home  seem  insecure,  are  put  to  work,  the 
better  it  will  be  for  the  two  races.  The  idleness  which  leads 
to  minor  offences  is  a  serious  phase  of  the  situation.  It 


THE  NEGRO  OFFENDER 

will  thus  be  seen  that  the  arrests  for  minor  offences  not 
only  seems  justifiable,  but  desirable  in  order  that  the  more 
serious  crimes  may  be  checked  and  that  the  growing  ten 
dency  may  not  increase.  When  the  number  of  offences 
which  the  negroes  commit  and  which  are  unrecorded  in 
sexual  immorality  and  petit  larceny,  together  with  flagrant 
vagrancy,  are  considered,  and  when  it  is  considered ^that 
these  vices  are  the  most  pregnant  of  evil  for  the  race,  the 
statement  is  true  that  the  vices  for  which  the  Negro  is  pun 
ished  are  not  so  great  as  those  of  which  little  note  is  taken. 
Again,  it  is  well  to  note  that  many  of  the  petty  trials  and 
arrests  are  instigated  by  negroes  against  members  of  their 
own  race.  The  negroes  ordinarily  shield  the  criminal  in 
general,  and  especially  if  his  crime  was  perpetrated  against 
the  whites.  They  do  not  always  do  so,  however,  and  when 
the  offence  is  against  private  interests  or  person,  involving 
jealousy  and  envy,  they  almost  infrequently  report  the 
offence  to  the  officers  and  demand  immediate  punishment, 
declaring  that  the  more  severe  the  punishment  the  better 
they  will  be  pleased.  This,  it  will  be  understood,  is  the 
action  of  individual  against  individual  and  not  the  group 
action.  And  negroes  often  impose  severe  punishments  when 
the  feeling  of  authority  and  power  is  given  full  sway.  His 
judgments  are  both  careless  and  without  compassion  when 
they  are  once  directed  against  a  subordinate.  There  is  ex 
treme  doubt  whether  the  negroes  would  fare  better  at  the 
hands  of  their  own  judges,  in  those  cases  where  personal  pre 
judice  and  feelings  were  permitted  to  enter.  But  in  all  con 
sideration,  it  should  be  remembered  that  the  Negro  has  ex 
treme  and  overwhelming  odds  with  which  to  battle  and  he 
deserves  the  sympathy  and  justice  due  him.  The  situation 
itself  should  be  impartially  studied,  and  it  should  be  remem 
bered,  too,  that,  so  far  as  the  white  race  is  concerned  with 
them,  the  majority  of  negroes  are  good,  law-abiding 
citizens. 


2io     SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO 

It  is  easier  to  suggest  general  opinions  than  to  fix  exact 
conclusions;  remedies  may  be  easily  suggested,  more  rarely 
applied.  Weakness  should  be  distinguished  from  aggres 
sive  crime  and  vice.  On  the  whole,  a  careful  review  of  the 
Negro's  home  life  reveals  the  source  of  much  of  his  weak 
nesses;  while  at  the  same  time  his  undeveloped  condition 
accounts  for  his  lack  of  home  order  and  ideals.  The  youth- 
fulness  of  many  offenders  and  the  low  age-average  sug 
gests  the  simple  gratifying  of  animal  passions  with  little 
restraint.  The  nature  of  the  crimes  committed  is  entirely 
consistent  with  this  view.  Again,  the  bumptiousness  of  the 
negro  is  co-existent  with  his  criminal  proclivities.  His 
prison  songs  and  slang  are  full  of  the  typical  attitude  of  the 
reckless  "  I  don't  give  a  damn,"  "  Nobody's  bizness  but 
my  own,"  "  Goin'  to  kill  a  kid,"  "  Goin'  to  raise  hell,"  and 
many  other  such  expressions.  The  hero-worship  of  the 
"  bad-man  "  and  the  prisoner  is  apparently  a  logical  out 
come  of  the  bumptious  spirit  which  characterizes  the  low 
order  of  character  commonly  exhibited  by  the  negroes  of 
the  worst  type.  The  professional  ethics  of  vagrancy  in 
which  the  loafer  develops  from  the  "  hobo,"  the  "  rounder," 
the  "  creeper,"  and  the  "  bum  "  into  the  "  bad  man  "  and 
criminal  is  significant  in  indicating  the  essential  qualities 
that  make  for  criminality.  This  phase  is  further  studied  in 
the  following  chapter.  The  failure  of  ordinary  measures  of 
reform  apply  equally  as  much  to  other  phases  of  his  life, 
the  industrial,  educational  and  social,  in  a  general  way. 
The  entire  tendency  seems  to  unite  in  a  greater  lack  of  re 
straint  and  a  more  appalling  lack  of  application  to  enduring 
activities. 

Reverting  again  to  the  original  inquiries,  it  will  be  seen 
that  they  are  only  very  partially  answered  and  that  the  re 
sults  show  general  and  tentative  conclusions.  It  is  doubtful 
if  the  Negro  can  accurately  be  said  to  have  a  distinct  crim- 


5!  5]  THE  NEGRO  OFFENDER  211 

inal  tendency  apart  from  the  physical  propensities  consis 
tent  with  his  development  and  the  mental  traits  consistent 
with  his  training.  His  vices  among  the  members  of  his 
own  race  are  more  frequent  than  his  crimes  against  the 
whites,  and  with  the  exception  of  rape  (and  all  forms  of 
sexual  vices)  are  not  essentially  different  from  those  of  the 
whites.  In  addition  to  the  factors  mentioned  above,  drunk 
enness  has  much  to  do  with  the  immediate  committing  of 
many  offences.  Larceny  and  common  theft  have  developed 
in  many  cases  into  bold  and  carefully  planned  robbery.  No 
sufficient  data  are  at  hand  to  enable  an  opinion  of  the  part 
disease  plays  in  the  criminal  record.  The  .negro  lunatic  is 
not  dangerous ;  he  is  more  of  an  imbecile.  No  adequate 
records  are  found  to  tell  whether  lunacy  is  increasing  or 
not.  The  Fulton  County  records  show  an  increase  of  1906 
over  1905  and  a  decrease  in  1907  with  a  slight  increase 
again  in  1908.  Other  records  are  equally  unsatisfactory, 
though  no  exhaustive  study  has  been  made  of  the  larger 
communities.  Lunacy  in  the  smaller  communities  is  not 
perceptibly  on  the  increase.  The  remedies  for  immediate 
relief  seem  lacking.  Enforced  restraint  and  application  to 
some  kind  of  life  that  would  lead  to  stability  are  essential. 
To  prevent  the  criminal  propensities  the  work  must  be  ap 
plied  to  the  very  young  negroes  in  the  home  and  school, 
with  some  such  methods  as  are  suggested  in  the  chapter  on 
Education.  The  ultimate  remedy  is  one  of  complex  eugenics 
and  environment.  Work  with  regular  and  constant  em 
ployment  would  be  a  most  practical  means  of  developing 
the  Negro.  The  active  interest  of  negro  leaders  would  go 
far  toward  a  beginning. 

There  is,  however,  another  phase  of  the  entire  situation 
which  cannot  be  expressed  in  records  and  averages. 
Whether  the  Negro  has  a  special  tendency  or  not ;  whether, 
such  a  tendency  is  the  committing  of  one  offence  or  an- 


212     SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO 

other,  the  facts  nevertheless  remain  that  his  total  record  is 
unchanged  and  that  it  works  very  much  to  his  hurt.  The 
foregoing  pages  attempt  only  a  qualitative  and  suggestive 
view  of  the  underlying  actions  of  the  so-called  criminal 
negroes.  But  all  the  while  the  impression  is  deeply  rooted 
in  the  South  that  the  Negro  is  becoming  dangerous  and  a 
menace  to  civilization.  Fear  and  unrest  caused  by  the  ne 
groes  by  their  past  record  is  astonishing.  The  white  man's 
home  in  the  rural  places  and  the  suburbs  of  the  cities  is  not 
considered  safe.  The  thieving  of  the  negroes  in  many  places 
is  a  constant  menace.  The  relations  between  the  races  be 
come  more  strained  in  some  kind  of  periodic  rhythm,  gov 
erned  by  the  existence  of  irritating  offences.  In  this  chap 
ter  no  attempt  is  made  to  study  the  more  serious  crimes  of 
murder  and  rape;  they  have  been  unduly  emphasized  in 
proportion  to  their  importance  in  fixing  a  probable  future 
tendency.  What  is  desired  now  is  to  reveal  the  condition 
of  affairs  and  the  qualities  of  the  Negro  which  make  his 
present  and  future  welfare  hazardous,  and  the  relations  be 
tween  the  races  unduly  strained.  It  may  as  well  be  ad 
mitted  that  practical  thinking  in  regard  to  the  present  situ 
ation  is  important,  and  that  all  interpretations  of  records 
and  impressions  should  be  sane  and  broad. 


CHAPTER  VI 

THE  SOCIAL  STATUS  OF  THE  NEGRO 

y 
FROM  the  foregoing  studies  something  may  be  learned  of 

the  Negro'o  general  position  in  the  community  and  also  of 
his  life  among  his  own  people.  The  facts  brought  out  in 
the  study  of  the  Negro's  schools  and  school  life,  his  church 
and  church  life,  the  lodge  and  its  social  and  benevolent 
activities,  his  home  life  and  morals  and  the  criminal  acts  of 
the  mass  of  negro  offenders  will  indicate  the  general  status 
of  the  negro  race  under  present  conditions  in  Southern  com 
munities.  It  now  remains  to  consider  briefly  the  part  which 
the  Negro  plays  in  the  community  as  a  laborer  and  as  a 
property  owner,  and  to  note  further  characteristic  habits  of 
social  activity  and  methods  of  entertainment  which  the 
negroes  employ.  For  the  total  status  of  the  Negro  must 
be  determined  both  by  his  relation  to  the  entire  commun 
ity  of  whites  and  blacks  and  by  the  kind  of  life  that  is  com 
mon  among  the  negroes  themselves.  With  this  fact  in  mind 
the  Negro's  part  in  the  community  as  a  laborer  and  property 
owner  may  now  better  be  understood  and  the  facts  presented 
in  this  chapter  may  be  correlated  with  the  studies  of  his 
private  and  social  activities  as  set  forth  in  the  foregoing 
chapters. 

Occupations  among  the  negroes  are  not  well  defined.  It 
is  therefore  difficult  to  classify  the  negro  laborers  according 
to  their  occupations,  except  in  a  very  general  way.  The 
majority  of  them  may  be  said  to  work  at  any  specified  labor, 
rather  than  to  follow  it  as  a  fixed  occupation.  The  Negro 
517]  213 


214 


SOC1AL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO 


changes  his  work  often,  hence  his  occupation,  and  when  he 
has  reached  middle  age  he  has  been  employed  in  many 
capacities.  He  is  thus  for  the  most  part  a  general  laborer. 
Such  laborers  fall  into  two  general  divisions  :  Those  who 
work  for  the  blacks  and  those  who  work  for  the  whites. 
Each  of  these  divisions  in  turn  may  be  divided  into  two 
classes.  The  first  class,  which  is  very  small  owing  to  the 
fact  that  few  negroes  own  business  property  or  are  pro 
ducers,  is  composed  of  (i)  those  who  perform  the  actual 
labor  for  the  blacks;  and  (2)  those  whose  work  is  for  the 
most  part  done  for  whites  but  under  black  supervision. 
Among  the  black  workers  for  blacks  may  be  mentioned  the 
merchants,  boarding-house  keepers  (for  blacks),  painters, 
editors,  teachers  and  preachers.  Among  the  laborers  of 
the  second  subdivision  of  the  first  general  class  may  be 
mentioned  barbers,  draymen,  keepers  of  restaurants,  con 
tractors,  painters,  blacksmiths,  butchers,  shoemakers  and 
repairers.  The  employees  of  these,  where  the  business  is 
large  enough  to  require  assistance,  come  under  the  first 
division.  The  total  number  of  either  kind  of  workers  for 
blacks  is  small,  nor  are  all  the  classes  mentioned  represented 
in  every  community.  Few  towns  have  a  negro  printing- 
office;  in  other  towns  the  barber  shops  for  whites,  as  well 
as  the  restaurants,  are  operated  by  whites.  The  whites  do 
not  work  in  the  employ  of  negroes. 

The  great  majority  of  negro  laborers  belong  to  the  gen 
eral  division  of  workers  for  whites,  which  may  again  be 
divided  into  two  classes  :  those  who  work  for  the  whites 
under  black  management,  and  the  great  body  of  negro 
laborers  solely  under  white  management.  The  first  of 
these  classes  has  already  been  mentioned  (2)  under  the 
first  general  division  of  laborers.  In  the  second  general 
division  of  laborers,  the  second  class  includes  bricklayers, 
carpenters,  blacksmiths,  barbers,  butchers,  hack-drivers, 


THE  SOCIAL  STATUS  OF  THE  NEGRO  215 

firemen,  farm  hands,  room-cleaners,  house-boys,  waiting- 
servants,  janitors,  messengers,  plasterers,  painters,  porters, 
railroad  employees,  drivers  of  teams,  bootblacks,  clothes- 
pressers,  and  the  great  majority  of  other  general  laborers 
and  workers  at  "  odd  jobs  ".  This  class  also  includes  the 
large  number  of  women  workers,  cooks,  laundry  women, 
or  both,  nurses,  house-girls  and  general  farm  laborers.  A 
strict  classification  would  require  another  division,  namely 
that  of  men  and  that  of  women  workers.  The  former  have 
been  classified  more  fully.  The  women  help  clean  houses, 
do  little  odd  jobs  of  a  domestic  nature  for  the  whites  in 
addition  to  cooking  and  washing.  However,  the  woman 
laborer  is  most  characteristic  as  the  cook.  The  whites,  who 
do  not  do  their  own  cooking,  depend  almost  entirely  upon 
the  negroes  for  their  assistance.  They  come  to  prepare 
breakfast,  go  home  and  return  for  the  mid-day  meal,  return 
again  in  the  afternoon,  and  come  again  to  prepare  the  even 
ing  meal;  or  they  come  early  in  the  morning  and  remain 
until  after  dinner.  Many  live  on  the  premises  and  are  able 
to  be  at  home  and  attend  the  whites  as  well.  What  the 
whites  would  do  without  them  is  difficult  to  conjecture,  yet 
they  are  coming  to  be  less  satisfactory  each  year.  Should 
one  be  up  early  in  the  morning  in  the  average  town,  one  of 
the  first  scenes  that  meets  the  eye  is  that  of  negro  women 
going  to  and  fro  on  the  streets  to  their  work.  There 
are  many  of  them,  and  for  the  most  part  they  go  silently. 
What  they  are  thinking  of,  if  indeed  they  go  beyond  child 
like  musings,  would  be  difficult  to  ascertain.  Sometimes 
they  see  their  male  friends  and  acquaintances  as  they,  too, 
are  going  to  work  and  speak  to  them.  Sometimes  they  ask 
in  passing  of  each  other's  "  folks  "  or  stop  to  speak  concern 
ing  something  of  common  interest.  More  generally  the 
women  simply  greet  each  other.  "  Who  you  wukkin'  fer, 
now  ?"  "  Oh,  Fse  cookin'  fer  de  Smiths,  didn't  you  know 


2i6     SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [520 

dat  ?"  "  I  thought  you  wus  cookin'  over  to  Miss  Thomp 
son's."  "  Naw,  I  don't  wuk  fer  no  white  folks  dat  long." 
And  they  pass  on.  The  domestic  problem  grows  more 
serious.  The  nurses  and  house-girls,  too,  are  less  efficient 
and  faithful  than  formerly.  The  washer-women  are  more 
satisfactory  and  often  do  good  work,  although  less  faithful 
than  formerly. 

A  further  subdivision  of  negro  laborers  in  general  is  that 
of  skilled  laborers  and  unskilled  laborers,  the  former  class 
being  small.  There  are  few  skilled  laborers  in  the  average 
community  of  negroes;  the  negro  artisan,  generally  speak 
ing,  is  not  found  to  any  extent.  While  studies  into  the 
progress  of  the  Negro  show  that  on  the  whole,  and  as  a  race, 
the  Negro  has  advanced  considerably  in  skilled  labor,  it  is 
difficult  to  verify  these  conclusions  in  the  smaller  com 
munities  and  among  the  general  mass  of  negroes.  The 
Atlanta  studies  and  reports  of  Washington's  students  indi 
cate  that  there  are  a  great  many  successful  and  persistent 
skilled  laborers  among  the  negroes.  Nor  is  one  disposed  to 
doubt  the  general  conclusion.  The  present  investigations, 
however,  reveal  the  fact  that  many  who  have  set  out  as 
skilled  laborers  have  dropped  back  into  general  labor,  for 
various  reasons.  Here  again  it  is  difficult  to  permanently 
classify  the  workman.  There  are,  however,  many  com 
munities  which  have  negro  skilled  laborers  who  are  efficient 
and  industrious,  ranking  high  among  workmen  of  any 
class.  On  the  other  hand,  it  is  worthy  of  note  that  in  many 
places  skilled  labor  among  the  negroes  is  on  the  decrease. 
This  may  be  due  to  the  fact  that  in  many  towns  the  total 
population  of  negroes  has  decreased,  while  the  whites  have 
increased,  thus  bringing  about  a  new  order  of  things  and 
crowding  out  the  negroes,  or  taking  places  for  which  they 
were  not  prepared.  Again,  such  a  condition  may  be  due 
partly  to  the  fact  that  the  negroes  seem  to  care  less,  in  many 


52i]  THE  SOCIAL  STATUS  OF  THE  NEGRO  217 

instances,  for  skilled  labor;  few  prepare  themselves  for  it, 
not  because  they  object  to  it,  but  because  of  the  general 
inactivity  and  lack  of  application  among  the  great  mass  of 
negroes.  Perhaps  the  negroes  have  been  displaced  most 
commonly  by  white  barbers  and  blacksmiths,  carpenters, 
plasterers  and  painters,  within  the  last  decade.  Among  the 
professional  workers,  the  preachers  and  teachers  are  numer 
ous.  There  are  few  negro  lawyers  and  physicians,  but  they 
are  increasing,  and  many  of  them  show  a  marked  degree  of 
adaptability. 

The  question  of  the  efficiency  of  negro  labor  is  the  critical 
question  of  the  hour;  alongside  it  stands  the  question  of 
the  proportion  of  those  laboring  to  those  who  are  idle  or 
unemployed.  In  any  discussion  of  the  economic  situation 
this  is  an  important  consideration.  A  portion  of  the  negroes 
wander  about  and  seek  to  get  a  living  as  best  they  can 
without  working  for  it;  they  must  necessarily  live  at  the 
expense  of  the  other  negroes  and  the  whites.  The  number 
of  vagrants  in  every  community  is  surprisingly  large.  They 
are  naturally  divided  into  several  groups :  those  who  never 
work  but  wander  from  place  to  place,  never  fixed  and  with 
out  a  home,  stealing,  begging,  and  obtaining  a  living  from 
any  source  possible.  Such  men  never  work  except  when 
forced  to  do  so  in  little  jobs  or  on  the  streets  or  in  the  chain- 
gang.  Besides  these,  there  is  a  large  number  who  work  for 
several  months,  until  they  have  accumulated  a  little  money 
or  until  they  have  grown  tired  of  labor  at  one  place;  they 
are  then  "  off  "  for  another  locality,  loafing  and  causing 
trouble  in  many  ways.  Then  there  is  a  large  class  of  negro 
men  who  work  only  a  small  portion  of  their  time,  but 
remain  generally  in  their  home  community.  They  are 
willing  to  work  a  day  or  two  to  meet  actual  necessities; 
they  are  often  willing  to  work  for  longer  periods  if  good 
inducements  are  offered,  but  their  chief  business  is  loafing. 


2i8     SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [522 

The  majority  of  negroes  belong  at  some  stage  in  their  lives 
to  this  class  of  vagrants.  Again,  there  are  a  considerable 
number  of  negro  women  who  neither  look  to  the  welfare  of 
the  home  nor  perform  any  work ;  they  not  only  do  not  make 
for  the  welfare  of  the  community  in  any  sense,  but  do  much 
harm.  They  figure  prominently  in  the  police  records  and 
make  large  contributions  to  the  immorality  of  the  com 
munity.  Such  classes  of  loafers  and  worthless  negroes 
easily  make  the  situation  more  difficult  for  the  better 
negroes,  and  the  whites  are  coming  to  recognize  this  fact 
in  making  better  provisions  for  their  future. 

The  situation  existing  in  a  community  with  many  such 
negroes  is  a  difficult  one.  Sometimes  they  enter  a  compact 
not  to  work  until  a  certain  time  or  for  certain  terms.  They 
are  heard  to  boast  that  they  can  live  with  the  least  amount 
of  work  possible ;  the  one  who  can  exceed  the  usual  limit  is 
the  best  of  the  crowd.  Their  means  of  sustenance  has  been 
described  in  an  earlier  chapter.  Besides  the  hand-outs  and 
the  supplies  given  them  by  the  negro  women  who  work  for 
the  whites,  such  negroes  depend  upon  any  methods  possible, 
stealing  and  borrowing,  visiting  and  begging.  They  thus 
remain  idle  as  long  as  they  can,  consenting  to  work  only 
when  forced  to  do  so  by  necessity.  They  may  work  one, 
two,  three  or  four  days  in  the  week,  and  be  idle  the  rest  of 
the  week.  As  a  result  of  such  conditions,  it  is  often  difficult 
to  obtain  satisfactory  labor.  When  such  negroes  work  at 
all,  they  demand  their  wages  at  the  end  of  each  day,  nor 
will  they  work  under  other  circumstances.  They  overdraw 
their  pay  whenever  their  employers  are  willing  to  pay  them 
anything  in  advance;  it  is  thus  common  for  them  to  fail  to 
report  to  work  on  a  morning,  and  leave  each  place  owing  a 
small  amount.  This  they  will  pay  if  driven  to  work  again 
for  the  same  employer,  who  in  turn  is  glad  to  have  any  kind 
of  labor.  And  indeed  such  negroes  make  the  best  of 


523]  THE  SOCIAL  STATUS  OF  THE  NEGRO  219 

laborers  when  they  are  willing;  often  they  work  industri 
ously  for  a  few  days,  then  become  tired  and  lag,  then  stop 
completely.  Again,  labor  can  not  be  obtained  at  all  on 
many  occasions  when  most  needed,  although  numbers  of 
idle  negroes  may  be  seen  on  the  streets  or  may  be  found 
sleeping  in  the  houses  or  yards.  At  other  times  unreason 
able  inducements  must  be  offered.  Take  an  example  for 
further  illustration:  An  aged  white  minister  whose  spotless 
character  and  charitable  deeds  make  him  conspicuous  to 
both  whites  and  blacks,  goes  to  a  group  of  no  less  than  ten 
strong,  burly  negro  men  and  boys,  desirous  to  have  one  or 
two  of  them  work  out  his  garden,  for  which  he  offers  them 
a  liberal  wage.  He  almost  begs  them  to  work  even  a  short 
time,  yet  they  all  refuse  to  go.  Standing  there  at  first  in 
silence,  each  looking  at  the  others,  with  expressions  varying 
between  a  smile  and  a  sneer,  one  finally  says  he  believes 
he  does  not  want  to  go ;  the  others  assent.  This  thing  hap 
pens,  not  once  nor  twice,  but  many  times.  Another  recourse 
of  this  exasperating  class  of  negroes,  especially  if  they  are 
younger  fellows,  is  to  inquire  into  the  nature  of  the  work 
and  the  pay  offered,  and  then  as  if  they  are  offended  that 
they  should  be  expected  to  do  this  particular  kind  of  thing, 
they  calmly  answer  that  they  don't  want  to  work.  When 
the  white  man  who  has  often  befriended  such  negroes,  thus 
in  need  of  help  for  which  he  offers  good  rates,  knowing  that 
these  are  the  negroes  who  make  his  home  unsafe  and  add  to 
the  criminality  of  the  negro  race  itself,  and  knowing  that 
they  begin  to  abuse  him  as  soon  as  he  is  gone,  when  such  a 
man  comes  to  analyze  his  feelings,  it  is  little  surprising  that 
his  patience  is  gone.  A.gain,  such  negroes  often  promise  to 
be  on  hand  for  the  desired  work  but  never  appear  or  send 
excuse.  The  younger  negroes  are  coming  more  and  more 
to  shun  unpleasant  labor,  and  are  thus  becoming  more  un 
stable. 


220     SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [524 

Indeed,  the  Negro  has  developed  an  independent  ethics 
of  vagrancy  wherein  he  states  his  principles  of  loving  idle 
ness  and  shunning  work.  Carelessness  and  idleness  are 
principles  and  he  is  not  ashamed  of  them.  This  is  brought 
out  in  his  manners,  in  his  boasts  and  conversation,  in  his 
songs  and  in  his  actions.  He  sees  two  dirty  "  hoboes  " 
coming  down  the  railroad  track  with  grip-sacks  on  their 
backs  and  wittily  sings  that  one  "  looks  like  my  brother,  the 
other  my  brother-in-law  ".  He  sings  and  boasts  his  own 
freedom  from  work  and  complete  independence  to  do  as  he 
pleases.  Says  he,  "I'm  goin'  where  water  drinks  like  wine", 
"  where  rounders  and  women  do  as  they  please  ",  "  where 
money  grows  on  trees  ",  "  where  chilly  win'  don't  never 
blow,"  "  where  sun  don't  never  shine ",  "  where  it  ain't 
goin'  to  rain  no  mo'  ",  "  where  watermelon  smilin'  on  de 
vine  ".  The  Negro  is  becoming  less  efficient  as  a  work 
man,  not  because  of  lack  of  ability,  but  because  of  his 
indisposition  toward  work  and  his  persistency  in  idleness. 
So  he  sings  as  a  typical  character : 

Well  dey  calls  me  a  eastman  if  I  leaves  de  town, 

Dey  calls  me  a  eastman  if  I  walk  around, 

I  got  it  writ  on  de  tail  o'  my  shirt, 

I'm  a  natch'el  bohn  eastman,  don't  have  to  work. 

When  you  kill  a  chicken  save  me  the  whang, 
When  you  think  I'm  workin'  I  ain't  doin'  a  thing. 
When  you  kill  a  chicken  save  me  the  feet, 
When  you  think  I'm  workin'  I'm  walkin'  de  street. 

Ain't  no  use  me  workin'  so, 

Cause  I  ain't  goin'  to  work  no  mo'. 

Satisfied,  tickled  to  death, 
Bottle  o'  whiskey  on  my  shelf. 

Wake  up  ole  rounder,  time  to  go, 
Money-makin'  man  done  pass  yo'  do'. 

In  addition  to  the  fact  that  the  growing  tendency  on  the 


525]  THE  SOCIAL  STATUS  OF  THE  NEGRO  22I 

part  of  the  younger  negroes  to  do  as  little  work  as  possible 
is  making  the  situation  more  acute,  it  is  easily  seen  that  the 
criminal  ranks  are  increasing  rather  than  decreasing  be 
cause  of  these  worthless  negroes.  From  idleness  to  reck 
lessness  and  theft,  the  negro  easily  develops  from  the  va 
grant,  the  bum,  the  hobo,  the  bully  boy,  the  eastman,  the 
rounder,  the  creeper,  to  the  "  bad  man  "  and  the  criminal. 
Whiskey,  beer,  pistols,  knives  and  guns  taken  with  idleness 
make  the  final  combination.  Thus  the  morals  of  the  negro 
laborer  vary  as  the  efficiency  of  his  work.  The  social  status 
of  the  Negro  is  interdependent  with  his  application  as  a 
workman  of  industry.  With  the  Negro's  present  stage  of 
development  his  salvation  can  be  worked  out  through  no 
better  medium  than  that  based  on  good,  honest  toil. 

The  rate  of  wages  paid  the  ordinary  laborer  has  increased 
to  a  marked  degree  within  the  last  few  years.  The  crying 
need  for  industrious  laborers  and  efficient  labor  has  caused 
a  steady  demand  for  the  better  workers  at  unusually  good 
wages.  A  decade  ago  the  unskilled  laborer  received  from 
fifty  to  seventy-five  cents  per  day  where  to-day  he  is  paid 
from  seventy-five  cents  to  a  dollar  and  a  half.  The  monthly 
laborer  received  from  six  to  nine  dollars  per  month  where 
he  now  gets  from  twelve  to  fifteen  dollars ;  many,  indeed,  re 
ceive  from  eighteen  to  twenty-five  dollars  a  month.  While 
the  demand  for  negro  skilled  labor  is  less  felt  than  for  the 
unskilled,  they  are  paid  from  one  to  four  dollars  per  day. 
The  industrious  negro  woman  makes  from  two  to  six  dollars 
a  week  with  her  laundry  and  cooking.  It  is  not  possible 
to  ascertain  the  exact  income  of  the  average  negro.  His 
wages  vary ;  his  income  is  neither  fixed  nor  regular.  A  close 
study  of  the  negro's  social  habits  will  show  the  various 
sources  of  his  instalments  of  money.  His  living  expenses 
cost  him  scarcely  more  than  a  third  of  his  total  income  from 
all  sources.  If  the  Negro  would  work  regularly  and  spend 


222     SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [526 

his  money  judiciously,  he  would  have  a  reasonable  amount 
of  prosperity.  It  has  been  observed  that  he  does  not  do  the 
former;  neither  does  he  spend  his  earnings  wisely.  A  com 
paratively  small  amount,  it  has  been  observed,  goes  for  pro 
visions  and  home  improvement.  He  spends  the  greater 
part  of  the  money  away  from  those  who  pay  him;  perhaps 
the  greater  part  goes  for  the  satisfaction  of  the  Negro's 
own  peculiar  social  wants,  lodge,  church,  entertainment, 
and  whatever  pleases  his  fancy.  He  pays  a  great  deal  for 
fines,  to  the  city  treasury.  A  town  having  from  five  to  ten 
hundred  negro  inhabitants  receives  annually  from  five  to 
twelve  hundred  dollars  in  the  payment  of  fines  placed  upon 
negroes  who  have  been  convicted  in  court.  Many  of  these 
fines  are  paid  by  whites,  while  the  negroes  in  turn  work  out 
the  time.  A  general  estimate  of  the  Negro's  conception  of 
expenditures  may  be  given.  For  the  common  mass  the  im 
portance  given  the  relative  items  indicates  what  the  ideal 
state  of  conditions  would  be.  While  house  rent  and  food  are 
often  so  imperative  as  to  exclude  other  items  for  the  time 
being,  still  they  are  secondary  in  the  social  concept.  The 
order  may  be  stated:  For  the  case  of  the  organized  family, 
expenditures  are  considered  (i)  churches  and  lodges,  in 
cluding  the  varied  social  functions  and  demands;  (2)  cloth 
ing;  (3)  "  unnecessaries,"  including  luxuries,  trinkets,  etc.; 
(4)  house  rent;  (5)  food,  and  (6)  fuel.  In  the  case  of 
the  "  high-quality  "  idlers  and  "  rounders  "  the  order  is  (i) 
clothing,  (2)  lodges  and  social  expenses,  (3)  unnecessaries 
and  (4)  food.  They  can  easily  find  a  place  to  "  stay  ". 
With  the  lowest  class  of  loafers  and  itinerant  laborers  the 
care  is  for  (i)  unnecessaries,  (2)  a  place  to  sleep,  (3)  some 
thing  to  eat.  The  better  class  of  laborers  fall  into  the  first 
general  type. 

As  a  property  owner,  the  Negro  does  not  play  so  import 
ant  a  part  in  the  community.     Comparisons  between  the  real 


527]  THE  SOCIAL  STATUS  OF  THE  NEGRO 

and  personal  properties  of  the  negroes  with  that  of  the  whites 
show  a  marked  contrast.  The  amount  of  personal  property 
assessed  per  capita  among  the  negroes  averages  from  four 
to  ten  dollars ;  the  amount  of  real  property  per  capita  varies 
from  fifteen  to  thirty  dollars,  making  the  total  amount  of 
property  among  the  negroes  from  twenty  to  forty  dollars 
per  capita.  With  the  whites  of  the  same  communities  the 
average  per  capita  of  personal  property  varies  from  mree 
hundred  to  six  hundred  dollars;  and  of  real  property  from 
three  hundred  to  five  hundred  dollars,  or  a  total  or  from 
six  hundred  to  eleven  hundred  dollars  per  capita.  Among 
the  negroes  the  personal  property  is  distributed  among  some 
twenty-five  per  cent  and  the  real  property  is  owned  by  some 
forty  per  cent  of  the  negro  population.  It  is  true,  however, 
that  records  of  personal  property  are  very  inaccurate  and 
further  investigations  indicate  that  the  negroes  own  con 
siderably  more  personal  property  than  is  assessed  to  them, 
consisting  of  small  articles.  In  a  careful  study  the  omission 
of  articles  of  small  value  is  much  more  noticeable  among 
the  negroes  owing  to  the  fact  that  the  negroes  own  less 
belongings.  Of  the  real  property  not  less  than  fifty  per 
cent  is  reported  to  the  authorities  assessing  in  the  name  of 
women  or  those  not  required  to  pay  poll  tax.  This  is  done 
in  order  to  prevent  the  confiscation  of  property  for  debts 
and  taxes.  Few  negroes  pay  the  poll  tax,  and  the  laws  re 
lating  to  the  enforcement  of  its  payment  are  rarely  carried 
out.  The  Negro  cannot  or  does  not  care  to  vote  and  he  sees 
no  necessity  for  paying  the  tax.  If  the  officers  are  ques 
tioned  in  regard  to  the  non-payment  of  this  tax,  they  simply 
reply  that  few  negroes  ever  pay  it  and  the  failure  to  pay  it 
elicits  no  surprise;  further  than  such  a  general  comment, 
little  is  thought  of  it.  Houses  and  lots  constitute  a  large 
part  of  the  property  recorded  to  negroes.  Many  of  these 
are  mortgaged  to  the  whites,  others  are  nearly  paid  for, 


224     SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [528 

while  still  others  are  free  from  debt.  In  addition  to  the 
taxable  property  usually  assessed,  the  negroes  own  a  good 
many  hogs,  cows,  chickens  and  turkeys;  the  dog  should  not 
be  left  out  of  the  consideration,  though  the  town  negroes 
do  not  own  so  many  as  the  country  negroes.  According 
to  the  tax  books,  the  negroes  own  no  fire  arms,  or  practi 
cally  none.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  however,  they  own  many 
pistols.  The  younger  negroes  take  great  pride  in  keeping 
a  "  gun  "  at  hand  for  all  occasions.  It  would  seem  that  the 
negroes  own  a  relatively  larger  number  of  pistols  than  the 
whites,  though  few  guns  of  other  kinds  are  found.  So  the 
hardware  dealers  report  that  the  negroes  buy  many  car 
tridges.  On  the  whole  the  substantial  property  of  the  Negro 
is  not  increasing  to  any  marked  degree,  if  at  all.  Taking 
into  consideration  the  corresponding  conditions  of  the  whites 
and  the  improved  opportunities  for  gaining  property,  the 
Negro  appears  to  be  going  backwards.  A  study  of  his 
expenditures  and  the  social  life  of  church  and  lodge  will 
indicate  much  of  the  explanation  for  this  state  of  affairs. 
Perhaps  conditions  in  the  fraternal  organizations  give  the 
best  estimate  of  the  negro's  economic  tendencies.  There 
are,  however,  a  few  negroes  who  seem  to  be  able  to  save 
their  money;  those  who  have  property  are  thus  gaining,  in 
many  cases,  while  the  great  masses  accumulate  nothing. 
The  average  negro  seems  to  be  moved  neither  by  a  desire  to 
accumulate  property  nor  to  prepare  for  a  day  of  need.  It 
is  little  surprising,  then,  to  find  poverty  the  ruling  condition. 
Just  as  ignorance,  negligence,  shiftlessness,  vice,  intemper 
ance  and  weakness  in  the  home  were  shown  to  lead  to  dis 
ease  and  to  intensify  each,  so  they  are  also  the  causes 
for  continued  poverty  among  the  negroes.  The  fraternal 
orders  are  attempting  to  own  property  in  the  form  of  banks, 
schools,  cotton-oil  mills,  and  the  like,  for  which  they  assess 
members  freely.  But  they  retard  the  growth  of  individual 


529]  THE  SOCIAL  STATUS  OF  THE  NEGRO  225 

property  all  the  while;  so,  too,  much  money  is  wasted  in 
quickly-gotten-up  stock  companies  which  rarely  materialize. 
And  after  all,  the  Negro's  capacity  as  a  property  gainer  and 
owner  must  be  measured  by  that  of  individuals  rather  than 
by  that  of  a  few  organizations. 

In  spite  of  the  unfavorable  conditions  already  mentioned 
as  being  correlated  with  negro  life  and  work,  the  Negro 
nevertheless  has  a  most  distinctive  and  interesting  society 
of  his  own.  To  understand  all  its  phases  one  must  take  into 
consideration  the  facts  recited  in  the  entire  story  of  the 
Negro's  activities.  Certain  characteristic  features  of  his 
social  life  may  indicate,  however,  the  main  qualities  of  his 
social  intercourse.  With  the  Negro  society  is  the  means  of 
satisfying  other  wants  besides  the  simple  craving  for  food. 
It  is  more  important  for  satisfying  various  immediate  wants 
than  it  is  for  the  production  of  industry.  The  Negro  is 
essentially  gregarious  and  loves  companionship.  He  very 
naturally  seeks  companionship,  whether  it  be  of  similar 
tastes  and  natures  or  not.  This  gregarious  feeling  is  mani 
fested  naturally  and  continually.  It  has  its  special  qualities 
to  be  sought  and  its  apparent  prerequisites  to  be  fulfilled. 
It  is  seen  in  his  every-day  life,  in  his  church  and  lodge,  and 
in  various  other  social  gatherings.  A  great  part  of  what  the 
average  negro  conceives  to  be  real  life  is  found  in  that 
common  hilariousness  which  marks  all  occasions  of  festivity 
and  freedom  from  duties. 

Sunday  is  a  "  big  day "  for  the  Negro.  He  rushes 
through  his  morning's  work,  if  he  is  employed,  and  is  off. 
He  clothes  himself  with  the  best  that  he  has ;  he  calls.  He 
goes  to  church  and  Sunday-school.  He  joins  small  groups 
at  a  friend's  house  or  gate,  on  the  street  or  at  church.  Such 
groups  may  be  seen  on  the  streets  at  many  times  during  the 
day,  especially  among  the  younger  negroes,  who  include 
many  well-dressed  "  sports  ".  He  enjoys  conversation  that 


226     SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [530 

is  lively  and  characteristic;  he  feels  important.  His  hat  is 
on  the  side  or  back  of  his  head.  Sunday  is  also  his  big  driv 
ing  day  and  those  who  are  fortunate  enough  to  obtain  turn 
outs  enjoy  this  distinction.  Many  also  ride  on  the  trains  on 
Sunday,  taking  advantage  of  special  rates  and  free  time. 
Few  negroes  are  willing  to  work  on  Sunday  afternoon. 
Large  numbers  gather  at  the  depot  Sunday  afternoon  to 
see  the  train  and  meet  any  acquaintances.  This  crowd  is 
perhaps  as  characteristic  as  any  to  be  found.  Here  are  gath 
ering  large  numbers,  first  in  small  groups,  then  in  larger 
ones.  If  any  were  strangers,  they  are  not  strangers  long. 
Most  white  people  waiting  for  a  train  sit  aside  or  walk  the 
platform.  The  Negro  in  most  cases  does  just  the  opposite; 
apparently  he  sees  little,  while  he  talks  and  laughs,  at  the 
same  time  jesting  and  mingling  freely  with  his  fellows. 
Here  the  negroes  will  be  found  in  their  lighter  vein.  They 
talk  freely  about  everything  imaginable.  They  are  dressed 
in  their  most  gorgeous  apparel ;  green  and  red,  with  as  many 
other  colors  as  can  be  had,  mark  the  dress  of  those  who  are 
specially  "  stylish  ".  Many  are  dressed  neatly  and  in  good 
taste,  though  one  may  find  a  young  fellow  wearing  no  collar, 
but  displaying  a  red  tie,  nicely  tied,  about  his  neck.  A  de 
scription  of  the  finery  of  the  women  is  scarcely  possible. 
While  the  observer  watches  with  interest  a  group  here  and 
another  there,  a  negro  will  be  seen  to  approach  a  group, 
and  with  an  air  of  great  importance  will  say  to  one  of  the 
number :  "  Let  me  see  you  a  minute  ".  With  equal  dignity 
the  other  responds  and  they  go  aside;  with  gestures  and  ex 
pressions  of  apparent  great  concern  they  appear  to  be  dis 
cussing  matters  of  great  import.  Presently  they  return  and 
enter  into  the  conversation  of  the  group.  Now  the  cry  is 
made  that  the  train  is  coming;  the  climax  is  reached;  the 
negroes  rush  to  the  cars  in  which  are  the  colored  passen 
gers.  Those  inside  scarcely  wait  for  the  cars  to  stop  before 


53 1 ]  THE  SOCIAL  STATUS  OF  THE  NEGRO 

their  heads  are  out  of  the  windows.  There  is  great  noise  of 
many  voices;  time  is  short  for  the  stop;  the  train  pulls  out 
amid  shouts,  laughter,  and  good-byes.  Then  in  groups  the 
negroes  stroll  to  other  places ;  they  call  again.  They  gather 
in  groups  before  the  evening  church  service.  Some  go  to 
church  and  remain  there  until  a  late  hour ;  others  seek  resorts 
of  a  very  different  kind;  in  either  case  they  do  not  return 
home  until  a  late  hour.  Even  those  who  have  attended 
church  instead  of  going  directly  home  must  remain  together, 
for  some  time;  Monday  is  an  off  day.1 

During  the  week  the  negroes  gather  in  groups  whenever, 
and  wherever  opportunity  presents.  They  meet  at  night  in 
small  groups  and  larger  ones,  at  home  or  at  an  agreed  meet 
ing  place,  at  church  or  lodge  or  at  the  social  gathering. 
They  love  to  attend  all  picnics  and  all-day  services;  they 
especially  like  the  larger  gatherings  and  "  big  days ",  it 
matters  little  what  may  be  the  object  of  the  meetings,  they 
are  proverbial  for  their  good  attendance.  They  not  infre 
quently  get  into  serious  trouble  at  these  gatherings,  where 
personal  difficulties  often  arise.2  In  addition  to  such  gath- 

1  The  negroes  often  fail  to  appear  for  work  on  Monday  morning; 
many  make  it  a  rule  not  to  work  on  Saturday  afternoon  or  Monday 
morning.     The  most  provoking  feature,  however,  is  the  fact  that  the 
negroes    get    to    work    at    a    late    hour    on    Monday;    this    makes    the 
domestic  situation   somewhat    more   difficult. 

2  Three    special    exercises    were    to   be   observed   at    a    negro    church 
just  outside  a  town;  these  were  to  extend  through  the  greater  part  of 
the  day — being  on  the  third  Sunday  of  May,  June,  and  July  respectively. 
On  the  day  of  the  first  two  men  became  involved  in  a  fight  with  the 
result  that  one  of  them  was  badly  cut  with  a  knife;  on  the  second 
occasion  three  men  became  involved  in  a  difficulty  (the  trouble  being 
a  dispute  about  a  woman)   two  of  whom  were  shot,  but  not  seriously 
injured;  on  the  third  Sunday  one  negro  was  killed  and  another  shot. 
Every  negro  on  the  grounds  fled  and  the  body  of  the  dead  man  was 
left  to  be  taken  up  by  others ;  the  occurrence  caused  great  excitement 
in  the  town  among  the  negroes.     This  is  but  typical  wherever  negroes 
meet. 


228     SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [532 

erings  the  negroes  "  have  somewhere  to  go "  practically 
every  night ;  it  is  generally  accepted  that  young  negroes  are 
seldom  at  home  in  the  evening  except  there  be  visitors.1 

The  social  gatherings  and  entertainments  fall  into  two 
general  divisions:  those  which  are  held  under  the  auspices 
of  the  church,  and  those  which  are  not.  In  the  first  class 
are*  the  numerous  "  socials  "  held  for  church  benefits  and 
charitable  purposes.  Among  these  may  be  mentioned  box 
suppers,  open-door  suppers,  banquets,  feasts,  torch-light  pro 
cessions  and  receptions.  The  methods  of  entertainment  and 
collecting  of  fees  do  not  differ  materially.  A  short  descrip 
tion  of  some  of  their  church  entertainments  will  suffice. 

The  torch-light  procession  and  supper  is  more  elaborate 
than  the  average  social :  A  starting  place  is  fixed ;  a  bon 
fire  is  built  and  each  person  secures  a  torch  of  some  kind 
which  is  lighted  before  the  procession  starts.  There  is  some 
delay  around  the  bon-fire  and  much  fun  indulged  in.  When 
all  is  in  readiness  the  torches  are  lighted  and  the  procession 
moves  toward  the  church  where  the  supper  is  to  be  had. 
While  they  advance  in  line  some  sing,  others  talk,  and  those 
who  have  brought  their  stringed  instruments,  render  music. 
Such  a  procession  presents  an  interesting  spectacle.  When 
the  church  is  reached  the  torches  are  put  aside  and  all  who 
come  forward  with  the  admission  fee  prepare  to  enter;  such 
a  fee  is  usually  fifteen  and  twenty-five  cents.  Inside  the 
church  are  baskets  of  food  prepared  by  the  women ;  further 
charges  are  not  made.  While  eating  these  provisions,  the 

1  Frequently  young  negroes  do  not  return  home  at  night  nor  do  their 
parents  have  any  idea  as  to  their  whereabouts.  This  is  not  confined 
however,  to  the  younger  fellows;  the  husband  often  goes  off  to  a 
frolic  and  does  not  return  for  some  time.  On  one  occasion  when 
a  negro  man  had  failed  to  report  to  his  work,  the  "white  lady"  who 
employed  him,  sent  down  to  his  cottage  to  know  if  he  was  sick.  The 
wife  of  the  negro  responded :  "  Huh,  I  don't  know  where  he  is ;  I  can't 
keep  up  wid  my  ole  man ;  I  guess  he  ain't  dead." 


533]  THE  SOCIAL  STATUS  OF  THE  NEGRO  22Q 

negroes  entertain  themselves  in  various  ways;  they  talk  and 
laugh,  ask  and  answer  conundrums  and  riddles,  have  various 
jokes  and  amusements,  together  with  music,  and  sometimes 
the  graphophone.  The  supper  lasts  until  eleven  or  twelve 
o'clock.  The  "  banquet  "  is  very  similar  to  the  torch-light 
supper  except  that  the  procession  is  omitted;  so  with  the 
"  box  supper  ".  The  "  feast  "  is  conducted  on  a  slightly 
different  plan:  The  women  prepare  baskets  as  before;  in 
this  case  there  is  no  charge  for  admission.  Ea,ch  woman 
selects  a  man  who  is  to  buy  her  basket;  for  this  he  pays 
twenty-five  or  fifty  cents.1  Those  who  do  not  buy  are  called 
"  beggars  "  and  are  served  promiscuously.  On  such  occa 
sions  the  church  is  supposed  to  be  decorated;  it  is  after 
social  intercourse  that  the  refreshments  are  brought  out. 
In  each  community  there  are  many  such  socials  during  the 
year,  each  church,  as  a  rule,  holding  from  five  to  twelve.2 
Besides  the  church  entertainments  others  are  given  by  in 
dividuals.  Concerts,  banquets,  "  at  home "  parties,  moon 
light  picnics,  dances,  and  various  socials  are  frequent.  At 
the  home  parties,  they  "  joke,  laugh,  stroll,  return,  sing  and 
dance  "  until  late  in  the  night.  The  description  of  one  of 
these  dances  would  be  repulsive.  The  negroes  have  "  good 

1  Among  the  negroes  "  the  ladies  "  are  nowhere  more  important  than 
in  the  church  work ;   the  men  take  pride  in  the  work  done  by  them. 
On  such  occasions  as  have  been  described  these  women  preside  with 
much  grace  and  pleasing  manner,  as  they  are  seen  by  the  "  gentlemen." 
The  men  and  boys  make  special  efforts  to  attend  the  suppers  and  buy 
from   the   women.     The   youngsters    feel    that    they   are   in    desperate 
straits    if   the   time    for    the   social    finds    them   without   the   necessary 
money.     "  Please,    Mister   John,   jes'    let   me   have  a  quarter,  jes'   dis 
one  time  an'  I  sho'  will  work  jes'  long  as  you  wants  me;  I  jes  got 
to  have  it ;  my  woman's  over  to  de  church  an'  I  ain't  got  nothin  to  buy 
a  box." 

2  Several  churches  reported  from  twelve  to  eighteen  church  socials 
of  various  kinds  during  the  year. 


230     SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [534 

times  "  on  such  occasions  and  will  go  a  long  distance  to  at 
tend.  The  whole  trend  of  the  dance  is  toward  physical 
excitation;  they  are  without  order  and  the  influence  is  totally 
bad.1  Many  home  parties  are  arranged  by  individuals 
(mostly  men)  who  expect  to  make  a  profit  selling  ice  cream, 
lunches  or  lemonade  among  their  friends  whom  they  have 
called  in.  The  negroes  appear  to  enjoy  all  such  entertain 
ments,  and  the  manager  is  looked  upon  as  a  kind  of  a  hero. 
It  is  true,  however,  that  such  a  social  may  end  in  a  free-for- 
all  fight,  caused  by  some  fellow  stealing  a  dainty,  or  by 
other  trifling  matters.  In  such  cases  the  manager  not  only 
loses,  but  is  held  responsible  for  the  entire  disturbance. 
Not  infrequently  he  sells  whiskey  on  such  an  occasion. 
Many  of  the  capital  crimes  committed  by  the  negroes  among 
themselves  are  committed  at  these  gatherings.  The  town 
negro  loves  to  go  to  the  "  country  "  to  the  dance  or  picnic, 
where  he  again  almost  invariably  gets  into  some  mischief 
in  conflict  with  his  rural  brother. 

Beside  the  above-mentioned  ways  of  social  enjoyment,  the 
Negro  has  various  means  of  satisfying  his  social  wants. 
The  church  services,  the  funeral  services,  lodge  meetings 
and  women's  societies,  conventions  and  other  phases  of 
church  and  lodge  life  play  an  important  part.  The  Negro 

1  The  dance  among  the  present-day  negroes  lacks  the  decorum  and 
decency   of  the   old  time   dances  given   by  the   darkies;   whatever   of 
decency  might  belong  to  it  is  taken  away  by  its  coarseness.     Further, 
young  boys  often  say  that  they  have  learned  the  most  vulgar  songs 
at  a  dance  and  "they  sho'  wus  havin'  a  good  time." 

2  The  town  negro  enjoys  going  to  the  country  for  several  reasons. 
He  has  somewhere  to  go  and  receives  special  gratification  in  having 
gone  to  something  away  from  his  home ;  he  believes  that  "  they  have 
good   times   in   the   country";    he  is    shown   much   deference  by   the 
"womens"  in  the  country.     He  thus   feels  himself  distinguished  and 
consequently  is  overbearing  in  his  manner;   this   offends  the  country 
negro    who    often    calls    him    to    account.     Town    negroes    also    fight 
among  themselves  at  the  country  entertainment. 


535]  THE  SOCIAL  STATUS  OF  THE  NEGRO  231 

appears  never  to  tire  of  music  and  where  concerts  or  min 
strels  appear  they  love  to  attend  and  will  make  determined 
efforts  to  obtain  money  for  this  purpose.  Similar  efforts 
are  made  to  go  on  railroad  excursions.  Great  numbers  of 
negroes  take  advantage  of  special  excursions  and  few  occa 
sions  are  looked  forward  to  with  more  general  anticipation. 
On  these  trips  the  Negro  gets  some  of  his  knowledge  of 
persons  and  things;  and  much  of  his  grace  and  affability. 
Here,  too,  there  is  much  of  strife  and  disorder,  perhaps  no 
where  more  so.  No  one  can  completely  appreciate  the  Negro 
until  he  has  seen  him  on  such  a  trip.  The  Negro  enjoys 
most  games ;  perhaps  "  marbles  "  is  the  favorite  with  the 
young  fellows ;  in  base-ball  season  they  play  this  game  when 
there  is  no  conflict  with  other  plans.  The  well-known  and 
proverbial  "  shootin'  craps  "  seems  to  appeal  irresistibly  to 
the  average  negro*,  and  he  seeks  every  occasion  to  enjoy  this 
pastime,  though  it  leads  to  many  arrests.  In  all  these  gath 
erings,  whether  it  be  at  home  with  a  small  number  of  friends, 
picking  the  guitar,  or  "  shootin'  craps  ",  or  at  church,  or 
at  a  grand  "  literary  social  ",  the  Negro  is  seemingly  ob 
livious  of  fatigue,  and  prolongs  his  pleasures  to  undue  hours 
of  the  night,  heedless  of  the  weather  or  health  conditions,  or 
the  duties  of  the  morrow. 

While  the  Negro  is  losing  much  of  his  cheerfulness  his 
song,  nevertheless,  reveals  much  of  the  real  negro  self  in 
his  freer  moods.  Perhaps  he  is  very  much  less  disposed  to 
sing  while  at  work;  he  is  more  inclined  to  silence  and  mor- 
oseness.  The  Negro,  notwithstanding,  has  more  songs  of 
the  secular  kind  than  he  had  in  former  days.  The  love  of 
song  and  music  is  still  characteristic.  His  songs  are  of  a 
different  kind,  and  since  they  are  more  representative  of  his 
life,  they  are  thus  sung  more  within  the  race  and  at  social 
gatherings.  The  Negro  has  a  song  for  every  occasion;  yet 
the  song  is  adapted  to  all  groups.  It  may  well  be  said  that 


232     SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [536 

the  Negro  sings  on  all  occasions;  it  is  but  natural  that  the 
song  should  become  the  Negro's  song,  and  that  he  should 
sing  it  in  as  many  ways  and  on  as  many  occasions  as  there 
are  different  scenes  in  his  life.  Wherever  the  negro  is  seen 
he  may  be  heard  singing,  chanting,  humming,  or  whistling 
a  tune  at  some  stage  of  his  activity.  In  the  morning  the 
first  sound  that  one  hears  along  with  the  birds  is  the  clear 
tone  of  the  negro's  tune.  The  laborers  sing  and  whistle  as 
they  go  to  their  work  and  when  they  return  from  it.  The 
children  sometimes  sing  continuously  for  hours,  the  matter 
of  song  being  an  unconscious  accompaniment  to  their  mo 
tions.  Loafers  and  vagrants  sing  as  they  wander  from  place 
to  place  or  while  they  tarry  for  a  while  in  each  locality. 
Women  sing  while  working  at  home  or  while  tending  the 
children ;  they  sing  while  they  wash  and  iron  or  cook  for  the 
whites.  There  is  satisfaction  in  song  and  it  harmonizes  the 
surroundings.  "  Comrades "  in  rags  and  dirty  overalls 
grin  and  sing  their  arguments  to  prove  that  they  are  "  musi 
cal  coons  ".  The  deliberation  of  a  puzzled  moment  is  often 
relieved  by  the  singing  of  a  simple  song,  and  mischief,  mean 
ness,  or  impulse  becomes  an  enacted  fact.  The  dusky  group 
of  boys  vie  with  each  other  in  knowing  and  singing  the 
"  moest  "  songs ;  "  'cause  I'm  a  nigger  don't  cut  no  figger  ", 
sings  one  to  the  accompaniment  of  his  feet,  then  turns  with 
brag  to  "  Who's  a  nigger  ?  I  knows  all  de  new  song,  my 
self."  Pleasant  circumstances  evoke  the  best  environment 
for  song;  sensuous  pleasures  prepare  the  feeling  for  re 
sponse.  One  need  not  mention  the  scenes  O'f  the  half-drunk 
negroes  with  their  unlimited  supply  of  songs  and  their 
equally  persistent  efforts  to  render  them  over  and  over  again. 
The  Negro  is  o<ften  at  his  best  while  eating  a  good  meal  set 
out  before  him  with  plenty  of  time  and  no  restraint ;  he  sings 
"  grace  "  to  his  dinner  with  consumate  skill.  The  crowd 
of  darkies  treated  to  all  the  watermelons  that  they  can  eat 


537]  THE  SOCIAL  STATUS  OF  THE  NEGRO  233 

are  jolly  good  "  songsters  "  after  they  have  indulged  freely 
in  a  face-washing  and  rine  battle.  "  Music  physicianers  ", 
"  musicianers "  and  "  songsters "  add  much  to  the  total 
of  negro  gayety  and  satisfaction.  From  the  crap  game 
of  the  youngsters  to  that  of  the  idlers  and  profes 
sionals  ;  from  the  rounders  and  loafers  to  the  roust 
abouts  at  play  and  at  work;  from  the  negro  cabin  tp  the 
docks,  the  song  of  the  Negro  may  be  heard  in  its  char 
acteristic  measures.  Thanksgiving  and  Christmas,  dance 
and  frolic,  corn-shucking  and  log-rolling,  with  the  various 
other  activities  of  work  bring  forth  songs  of  all  kinds. 
Uncle  and  auntie,  Dinky  and  Titsy,  Fess  and  Cornelius,  and 
the  sundry  horde  of  happy  darkies  swell  the  total  of  song 
and  chorus.1 

It  will  thus  be  seen  that  the  Negro  is  very  much  occupied 
in  a  social  way.  But  to  point  out  a  social  standard  by  which 
he  is  governed  is  a  difficult  thing  to  do.  Certainly  there 
is  great  need  of  social  conventions  by  which  they  shall  gov 
ern  their  conduct.  Little  accurate  information  is  to  be  had 
in  reference  to  the  number  of  divorces  among  any  large 
number  of  negroes ;  so  far  as  has  been  ascertained,  there 
are  comparatively  few  formal  divorces.  There  are  many 
cases  of  separation  of  husband  and  wife,  sometimes  perma 
nent,  generally  only  for  the  time  being.  The  negroes  in 
their  social  life  are,  for  the  most  part,  careless  in  action  and 
boisterous  in  their  conversation.  They  are  coarse  and  sens 
ual  in  their  association.  The  average  young  negro  does 
not  know  what  it  is  to  think  seriously  about  better  things, 

1  Such  a  reference  to  the  Negro's  songs  only  suggests  the  part  which 
song  plays  in  his  pleasures.  For  further  reference,  see  the  songs  and 
interpretations  in  the  volume  on  Negro  Folk  Song  and  Folk-Thought 
to  which  reference  has  been  made  in  the  preface.  See  also  "  Re 
ligious  Folk- Songs  of  the  Southern  Negroes "  in  The  American 
Journal  of  Religious  Psychology  and  Education,  vol.  iii,  pp.  265-365. 


234     SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [538 

and  the  average  group  never  discusses  for  any  length  of  time 
at  their  chance  meetings  anything  of  serious  import.  Their 
lives  are  spent  in  emptiness.  There  is  in  the  negro  commu 
nity  life  little  of  the  spirit  of  self-sacrifice  for  another's 
good  or  for  the  establishment  of  a  better  unit  of  society. 
So,  ^oo,  the  social  affections,  benevolence,  conscientiousness, 
and  ambition  appear  to  be  almost  wholly  lacking  in  the 
Negro  in  the  present  society  of  the  negroes  in  the  South. 

It  remains  to  note  further  the  attitude  of  youth  to  old 
age,  and  to  call  attention  to  the  Negro's  ideas  of  caste.  The 
attitude  of  their  young  people  toward  the  older  ones  is  a  good 
test  for  the  possibilities  of  any  people.  The  degrees  of  re 
spect  for  women,  children  and  age  is  a  standard  measure 
of  the  better  social  nature.  Much  has  been  observed  con 
cerning  the  lack  of  these  qualities  in  many  of  the  negroes.. 
Perhaps  their  carelessness,  thoughtlessness  and  ignorance 
have  never  reached  the  stage  of  a  lack  of  respect  for  women 
and  children;  but  in  the  case  of  the  young  men,  there  is 
much  positive  haughtiness  and  scorn  of  advice  from  the 
older  generation.  It  may  be  well  to  quote  one  of  their  num 
ber,  a  teacher  of  thirty,  who  knows  conditions  well,  and 
states  them  impartially  and  conservatively : 

I  said  that  the  relation  between  the  old  men  and  the  young 
men  was  not  always  pleasing.  For  there  exists  a  rivalry 
among  them  for  supremacy,  and  in  nine  cases  out  of  ten  if  the 
young  man  is  rated  as  an  educated  man,  he  succeeds.  Our 
young  men  do  not  put  much  stress  on  the  experience  of  the 
older  men.  The  old  men  must  use  what  the  young  men  call 
"  good  English."  Failing  in  this,  he  brings  reproach  upon  his 
head.  He  is  criticised  in  his  words  and  gestures,  and  his 
words  are  looked  after  so  carefully  that  whatever  he  might 
say  is  lost  and  he  falls  into  the  pit  prepared  for  him  by  the 
younger  men.  There  does  not  exist  between  the  fathers  and 
sons  of  the  negro  race  that  paternal  relation  which  should 


539]  THE  SOCIAL  STATUS  OF  THE  NEGRO  235 

exist.  The  son  is  a  terror  to  the  family.  He  wears  finery 
and  his  clothes  are  of  the  latest  style.  He  takes  in  all  the 
gatherings,  and  sleeps  while  the  father  feeds  the  stock  or 
attends  to  other  work.  This  ought  not  so  to  be.  However, 
there  are  some  young  men  of  color  who  are  beneficial  to  the 
race  and  loyal  to  their  family,  and  a  blessing  to  the  com 
munity  in  which  they  live,  dispensing  lasting  good  wherever 
they  go.  It  is  enough  to  say  that  open  rupture  and/ race 
riots  have  often  been  averted  by  the  conservatism  of  the 
old  men  of  the  Anglo-Saxon,  and  Afro-American  races. 

Woman  occupies  an  important  place  among  the  negroes. 
Among  the  better  class  of  negroes  many  flattering  things 
are  said  of  their  women.  In  general,  it  must  be  said  that 
the  Negro  holds  woman  in  high  esteem,  according  to  his 
own  standards.  Negro  men  give  of  their  money  freely  to 
the  support  of  their  women;  negro  women  are  recognized 
good  workers  and  providers.  It  is  true,  however,  that  the 
negro  woman  does  not  have  exacting  requirements  to  meet 
in  her  standards  of  living.  The  attitude  toward  woman 
seems  to  be  a  matter  of  fact  one  governed  by  the  general 
principles  and  conditions  already  described.  "  Woman  ", 
"  sweetheart  ",  "  honey  ",  "  honey-babe  ",  "  babe  ",  "  girl  " 
are  all  more  or  less  synonomous  with  the  object  of  physical 
affection.  The  worst  comment  of  the  negroes  upon  their 
women  is  the  fact  that  they  are  not  expected  always  to  be 
faithful  and  that  they  are  often  considered  unclean.  Still 
they  are  more  unmoral  than  immoral,  and  the  general  status 
of  negro  women  and  their  place  in  the  total  of  negro  life  are 
not  inconsistent  with  the  whole  situation  of  negro  environ 
ment  and  character.1 

Among  the  negroes  there  are  many  petty  jealousies  and 
rivalries.  Envy  runs  riot  when  there  is  opportunity  for  ex- 

1  See  op.  cit.,  Chapters  III,  IV,  for  ideas  of  negro  women. 


236     SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [540 

citement.  Such  jealousy  manifests  itself  in  the  love  affairs 
between  man  and  woman.  It  is  strong  in  both  sexes  and 
among  the  men  it  causes  many  fights  and  much  crime,  while 
among  the  women,  it  is  more  marked  and  leads  to  many 
quarrels  and  personal  encounters.  It  is  further  manifest  in 
the  "attitude  of  the  less  prosperous  and  less  fortunate  toward 
those  who  are  more  successful.  It  shows  itself  in  church 
and  school  and  hinders  permanent  results  to  a  marked  de 
gree.  It  is  manifested  in  a  slightly  different  way  by  those 
who  laud  their  superior  advantages  and  attractiveness  over 
those  whom  they  believe  to  be  their  inferiors.  This  last 
type  of  rivalry  when  developed  to  a  greater  degree  becomes 
social  prejudice.  Many  people  may  be  surprised  to  know 
that  even  in  some  small  communities  social  prejudice  exists 
among  the  negroes.  Many  negroes  think  the  whites  guilty 
of  a  great  wrong  because  they  do  not  consider  the  negro 
a  social  equal ;  yet  they  themselves  pretend  to  be  very  much 
offended  if  they  are  asked  to  associate  with  certain  negroes 
who  are  pure  blacks.1  However,  when  opportunity  is  of 
fered  for  association,  individual  with  individual,  they  accept 
it  without  hesitation,  not  to  raise  up  the  lower,  but  to  de 
grade  both  classes.  In  the  smaller  communities  individuals 
do  not  hesitate  to  associate  with  individuals,  but  they  do  not 
wish  to  be  considered  in  the  same  class.  One  of  the  leading 
negro  preachers  recently  said  at  a  conference  held  in  the  in 
terest  of  better  homes  and  home  life,  after  he  had  urged  his 
hearers  to  visit  one  another :  "  To  this  some  will  put  in  ob 
jection  :  Will  not  these  people  presume  upon  our  social 
reserve?  Will  not  the  higher  class  be  dragged  down  by  the 
lower?  To  the  first  of  these  I  would  say  that  there  is  not 
the  least  danger  of  the  plainest  people  mistaking  our  kindly 

1  The  basis  of   such  distinctions  seems  to  be  ideas  of  caste  rather 
than  prejudice. 


54l]  THE  SOCIAL  STATUS  OF  THE  NEGRO  237 

interest  for  an  invitation  to  our  private  social  functions." 
Such  feelings  of  social  superiority  are  often  pronounced 
and  are  manifested  in  many  amusing  ways.  Along  with  the 
consideration  of  this  phase  of  negro  life,  it  will  be  well  for 
the  negro  leaders  to  consider  a  more  important  duty.  Un 
less  they  are  willing  to  struggle  upward;  unless  they  are 
willing  to  recognize  purity  of  family  life  and  race  pride,  and 
unless  they  are  willing  to  put  off  much  of  the  superfluous 
and  superficial  notions  of  their  social  life  and  practices,  the 
results  may  well  be  considered  doubtful.  For  what  service 
does  a  negro  who  feels  no  pride  in  his  race  render  in  the 
economic  bettering  of  his  society,  or  in  the  development  of 
those  permanent  and  lasting  qualities  which  are  useful  to 
a  race?  It  is  refreshing  to  hear  many  leading  negroes  at 
recent  church,  fraternal,  and  business  associations,  speak  out 
for  race  pride  and  a  determination  to  strive  for  the  upbuild 
ing  of  their  race.  They  should  begin  with  present  advan 
tages  and  continue  to  the  utmost;  such  men  will  establish 
worth  and  recognition  along  the  proper  lines. 


CHAPTER  VII 

THE  EMOTIONS  OF  THE  NEGRO  AND  THEIR  RELATION  TO 

CONDUCT  x 

IT  has  been  assumed  generally  that  the  Negro  in  America 
is  of  a  highly  emotional  nature.  Before  and  since  the  war 
he  has  been  represented  as  the  exponent  of  certain  kinds  of 
feelings  and  of  the  emotional  nature.  Many  writers  have 
emphasized  various  forms  of  his  emotions  and  have  de 
scribed  the  feelings  of  the  black  folks  with  no  little  skill. 
The  sadder  strains  have  been  emphasized  and  undue  em 
phasis  has  been  placed  upon  the  expression  of  the  emotions 
as  a  psychical  influence.  Likewise  it  had  been  generally  as 
sumed  that  such  emotions  were  the  results  of  a  condition  of 
slavery  and  of  habits  of  life  common  to  the  negroes  in 
America.  Little  thought  has  been  given  to  the  Negro's  in 
heritance  and  to  the  study  of  his  physiological  and  psycho 
logical  qualities,  as  such.  Scientific  students,  too,  have  as 
sumed  that  the  Negro  was  differentiated  by  a  distinctive 

1  This  chapter  is  offered  only  as  a  general  suggestive  outline  of  a 
study  of  the  Negro's  emotions  in  which  the  evidences  taken  from 
the  Negro's  private  and  social  life  were  given  to  illustrate  the  con 
clusion  here  summarized.  The  greater  part  of  this  concrete  and 
specific  evidence  it  has  been  necessary  to  omit  in  order  to  bring  the 
chapter  within  the  scope  of  this  work.  Besides,  the  statements  here 
made  are  only  tentative  pending  the  final  results  of  experimental 
studies.  However,  the  facts  herein  presented  may  be  correlated  with 
the  foregoing  chapters  and  with  the  final  chapter  and  in  this  way 
much  of  the  Negro's  general  status  and  conduct  may  be  better  under 
stood. 

238  [542 


UNIVERSITY  i 

OF 


EMOTIONS  OF  THE  NEGRO  239 

emotional  development.  It  thus  becomes  necessary  to  en 
quire  into  the  exact  nature  of  the  Negro's  emotions  and  their 
causal  relation  to  his  society.  Is  it  true  that  material  for  the 
study  of  the  primitive  emotions  is  abundant  in  the  feeling 
processes  of  the  negroes  ?  Is  it  possible  to  deny  that  in  the 
Negro's  emotional  states  may  be  found  intermediate  stages 
of  development,  the  understanding  of  which  will  be  most 
valuable  in  the  study  of  individual  and  social  conduct  V 

The  question  which  has  been  raised  may  be  emphasized 
further  by  the  statement  that  the  primitive  emotions  pre 
dominate  to  a  marked  degree  among  the  negroes.  Fur 
thermore,  they  are  largely  physiological  with  little  objective 
content.  The  Negro  reveals  himself  a  mass  of  physiological 
reactions  and  reflexes.  His  whole  being  is  volatile,  without 
continuous  or  stable  form,  easily  disturbed,  as  easily  quieted. 
With  all  this  there  is  yet  a  persistency  and  intensity  devel 
oped  by  the  constant  flow  of  emotional  currents  along  the 
tracts  of  least  resistance.  With  the  passing  of  the  immediate 
stimulus,  therefore,  the  emotion  is  likely  to  cease;  likewise 
the  feeling  lasts  only  while  the  process  of  immediate  stimula 
tion  and  reaction  is  going  on.  A  strong  physical  organism 
with  powerful  sensuous  capacity  thus  gives  the  Negro  a  rich 
emotional  nature,  which  together  with  habituation  and 
facility,  with  little  inhibition  save  that  of  conflicting  emo 
tions,  renders  him  pre-eminently  subject  to  the  feeling  states. 
Add  to  this  the  fact  that  the  Negro  is  unable  to  attend  in- 
tellectualy  to  other  things  when  the  feelings  are  aroused  and 
the  result  may  be  understood. 

In  order  to  develop  this  viewpoint  it  is  necessary  to  ex 
amine  the  primitive  emotions  most  prevalent  among  the 
negroes.  The  way  will  then  be  open  for  a  statement  of 
general  conclusions,  the  nature  of  which,  for  brevity  and 
clearness,  has  already  been  indicated  in  the  preceding  para 
graph.  First,  the  characteristics  of  fear  may  be  noted. 


240     SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [544 

Among  the  negroes  forms  of  fear  are  less  definitely  marked, 
less  concrete  and  specific  than  among  the  whites,  so  far  as 
the  general  manifestations  and  expressions  go.  Fear  is 
most  common  as  a  feeling  apart  from  individual  experi 
ence.  A  fear-impulse  apparently  influences  and  determines 
to  a  large  degree  all  forms  of  fear,  so  that  there  is  a  con 
tinuous  sub-feeling  of  fear  among  the  common  mass  of 
negroes.  It  thus  happens  that  fear  is  easily  excited  and 
the  Negro  is  ready  to  run  at  any  surprising  or  suspicious 
turn  of  affairs.  He  feels  a  latent  expectation  that  some 
thing  may  disturb  his  easy-going  life  so  that  what  appears 
to  be  a  feeling  of  guilt  is  quickly  aroused  into  a  feeling  of 
fear,  which  in  turn  intensifies  the  former  feeling.  In  every 
day  life  this  has  developed  in  the  Negro  into  a  feeling  that 
he  may  at  least  be  guilty  of  something  either  now,  in  the 
past  or  in  the  future.  This  feeling,  too,  often  reveals  the 
secret  doings  of  the  negroes  who  would  not  otherwise  be 
suspected.  It  is  manifest  in  many  ways  and  on  many  occa 
sions  both  by  individuals  and  by  crowds  of  negroes  in  times 
of  excitement.  Such  a  state  of  fear  leads  the  negroes  to 
do  many  unnecessary  and  ridiculous  things.  In  a  number 
of  experiments  made  by  superintendents  of  farm  and  camp 
labor  it  has  been  found  most  expedient  to  first  insure  the 
negroes  against  all  forms  of  fear  from  officers  and  from 
professional  negro  gamblers. 

The  Negro  is  afraid  of  all  officers  of  the  law  to  a  ridicul 
ous  extent.  It  is  a  proverbial  fear,  a  matter  for  fun  and 
ribaldry  when  no  danger  is  near,  a  matter  of  extreme  ex 
citement  when  there  is  immediate  possibility  of  a  visit  from 
such  officers.  This  has  given  rise  to  a  common  habit 
among  many  negroes  of  continuous  migration  from  one 
locality  to  another.  In  such  experiences  the  negro  makes 
a  good  fugitive.  The  records  of  officers  and  private  ob 
servers  is  full  of  rich  illustrations.  Likewise  the  Negro 


545]  EMOTIONS  OF  THE  NEGRO  241 

feels  fear  toward  those  persons  to  whom  he  has  failed  to 
keep  a  promise,  from  whom  he  has  stolen  small  things  or 
to  whom  he  owes  something.  His  attitude  toward  such 
persons  is  one  of  adept  slyness  until  he  is  brought  face  to 
face  with  the  object  of  fear,  when  he  is  seized  with  what, 
for  the  moment,  approaches  terror.  While  fear  is  thus 
present  the  negro  is  active  in  the  doing  of  what  he  believes 
is  demanded.  Again,  the  average  negro  is  afraid  of  all 
suspicious  persons,  of  strangers,  of  negroes  who  have  rep 
utations  of  notoriety.  His  doors  are  barricaded  at  night 
and  many  precautions  are  taken  as  a  result  of  immediate 
suggestion.  When  no  cause  for  fear  is  evident  he  goes  to 
the  other  extreme.  When  in  excitement  from  fear  the 
Negro  is  without  control,  he  sees  all  sorts  of  images  and 
hears  all  sorts  of  sounds. 

Much  of  the  Negro's  fear  may  be  explained  by  heredity, 
through  habituation  and  superstition.  He  fears  super 
stitious  objects,  conjurers  and  magic  workers.  He  fears 
thunder  and  lightning,  changes  of  the  weather,  eclipses, 
explosions  and  such  experiences  as  indicate  the  mysterious, 
to  a  marked  degree.  A  similar  feeling  of  fear  is  mani 
fested  toward  God,  the  devil,  heaven,  hell,  which  assumes 
various  forms.  Morbid  fears  are  common  and  sometimes 
continuous,  such  as  the  fear  of  death  and  the  dead,  the  fear 
of  not  being  buried  and  various  imaginary  fears. 

The  second  stage  of  fear,  that  based  upon  individual  ex 
perience  and  emotional  memory,  is  less  marked  than  the 
first.  Perhaps  the  Negro's  vivid-vague  imagination  ac 
counts  for  much  of  the  fear-state  in  general.  It  also  ap 
parently  accounts  for  the  intensity  of  the  more  concrete 
forms  of  fear  that  are  immediate.  The  Negro  is  very 
much  afraid  of  death,  yet  he  has  little  fear  of  incurring 
death  by  the  riding  of  rods,  climbing  to  dangerous  heights 
and  other  feats  of  daring,  unless  he  is  reminded  that  such 


242     SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [546 

an  outcome  is  likely.  That  is,  the  Negro  may  become  fear 
less  when  the  self-feeling  gives  him  joy  in  doing  the  dan 
gerous.  Again,  the  Negro  does  not  fear  ill-health  until 
it  has  brought  him  to  the  contemplation  of  death.  It  is 
thus  difficult  to  state  clearly  special  forms  of  fear  as  they 
may  be  seen  among  the  negroes.  The  Negro  is  afraid 
of  certain  animals;  he  fears  the  dog,  the  black  cat,  bulls, 
wild  animals  to  an  extreme  degree.  Negroes  are  much 
afraid  of  pistols,  knives  and  weapons  in  general  when  in 
the  possession  of  others.  The  Negro  shows  little  cour 
age  in  trying  circumstances.  The  fear  manifested  in  the 
crowd,  the  panic  or  riot  is  not  unlike  that  of  the  individual 
much  intensified.  It  appears  without  bounds. 

The  manifestations  of  fear  and  its  physical  signs  are 
several  according  to  the  intensity  of  the  fear.  With  fear 
of  the  first  stage  the  attitude  is  one  of  restlessness,  uneasi 
ness,  and  in  the  case  of  more  intense  fright,  terror,  while 
a  sneakish,  roguish  expression  is  characteristic  of  the  less 
intense  fear  of  being  detected  by  someone.  The  furtive 
shifting  of  the  eye  constitutes  the  most  noticeable  expres 
sion.  When  the  fear  of  the  second  stage  is  only  moderate 
the  muscles  are  tense,  eyes  roll  with  much  of  the  whites 
showing,  and  a  general  state  of  restlessness  and  uneasiness, 
shows  him  ready  to  run.  When  such  a  fear  becomes  in 
tense  there  is  greater  tension  of  the  muscles,  the  white  of 
the  eye  shows  more,  with  eye  apparently  almost  protruding, 
excitement  and  terror,  begging,  pleading,  dancing,  hiding, 
running,  striking  wildly  follow. 

Like  fear,  anger  is  easily  excited  in  the  negro,  revealing 
a  powerful  impulse  which  but  needs  to  be  set  off  by  the 
proper  stimulus.  When  once  excited  it  is  generally  un 
controllable  but  is  easily  forgotten  when  once  it  has  passed. 
The  great  majority  of  examples  where  anger  has  been  ob 
served  belong  in  the  one  class  of  animal  passion,  mo- 


EMOTIONS  OF  THE  NEGRO 


243 


mentarily  excited.  Righteous  anger  and  indignation 
caused  by  a  series  of  long-standing  events,  is  seldom  noticed. 
In  those  instances  where  anger  of  longer  standing  has  been 
found,  it  is  often  the  outward  expression  of  a  perverted 
notion,  which  has  for  its  end  personal  satisfaction  in  the 
gratification  of  the  animal  impulse.  The  fundamental 
causes  of  anger  in  the  negro  seem  to  arise  from  inherited 
impulses  and  the  accidental  causes  which  give  direction  to 
outbursts  of  anger  are  good  indications  of  the  state  of 
character  development  to  which  the  individuals  have  come. 
Anger  in  its  epileptic  form  is  coming  to  assume  a  more 
complete  state  in  the  form  of  dementia.  It  is  seen  in  its 
simplest  form  in  the  case  of  negro  women  fighting  and 
quarreling.  It  rarely  takes  the  form  of  suicide,  the  near 
est  approach  being  the  infliction  of  bodily  pain  or  threats 
of  violence  because  a  personal  whim  is  not  granted.  Per 
haps  anger  never  approaches  acute  mania,  though  the  mani 
festations  in  quarrels  and  tights  appear  to  be  of  such  a 
nature. 

Anger  is  found  in  its  most  violent  form  among  negro 
women  in  their  quarrels  and  fights,  if  appearances  are  to 
be  relied  upon.  These  negroes  show  absolutely  no  re 
straint.  No  adequate  description  of  them  can  be  given. 
At  once  ridiculous  and  pathetic,  they  stand  in  a  class  of 
their  own.  Torrents  of  the  most  violent  abuse  imaginable, 
words  coined  and  used  for  the  occasion,  cursings  and  every 
form  of  profanity  —  these  are  the  prelude.  Threats  are 
more  common  than  actions  and  the  usual  conviction  can 
be  only  for  disturbing  the  peace  or  for  assault  and  battery. 
However,  knives  and  razors  are  not  infrequently  brought 
into  play  and  slight  wounds  are  often  the  outcome;  some 
times  more  serious  ones  are  inflicted.  During  excitement 
of  this  kind  such  negroes  are  raving  amazons,  as  it  were, 
apparently  beyond  control,  growing  madder  and  madder 


244     SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [548 

each  moment,  eyes  rolling,  lips  protruding,  feet  stamping, 
pawing,  gesticulating  with  the  usual  accompaniments  of 
anger.  This  frenzied  madness,  containing  also  a  large 
degree  of  pleasurable  feeling,  seems  beyond  control  to  all 
powers  of  the  negro  community.  While  the  positive  knowl- 
e'dge  of  a  fine  and  imprisonment  has  little  or  no  restraining 
power,  it  has  been  learned  that  the  fury  can  quickly  be 
checked  by  eliminating  the  pleasurable  element.1  With  the 
men  the  manifestations  are  less  violent  and  are  more  easily 
subjected  to  control,  inasmuch  as  they  are  more  open  to 
restraining  influences.  Their  anger,  however,  results  in 
more  harmful  results,  and  homicides  are  very  frequent. 
Anger  in  the  Negro  seems  to  summon  a  wild  and  inex 
pressible  desire  and  a  blind  instinct  to  destroy,  and  if  the 
conditions  are  favorable,  the  destruction  follows.  The  great 
majority  of  capital  crimes  committed  by  the  negroes  occur 
in  this  way.  In  many  cases  the  desperate  character  sud 
denly  becomes  a  wild  and  frantic  maniac  killing  every  one 
within  his  power.  While  such  a  condition  is  doubtless  much 
dependent  upon  former  broodings  and  plans  to  injure  others, 
the  coming  of  a  posse  unexpectedly,  for  instance,  turns  the 
full  force  of  the  negro's  passion  loose,  and  undoubtedly  the 
ruling  passion  is  anger.  A  number  of  instances  have  been 
noted  in  which  the  angered  negro  has  bitten  off  an  ear  or 
finger  and  even  the  nose  of  his  victim. 

1  One  who  had  almost  despaired  of  having  peace  and  effective  work 
among  his  laborers,  because  of  the  constant  quarreling  and  fighting 
of  some  of  the  negro  women  on  the  place,  decided  to  try  a  new  plan. 
To  each  of  two  negro  women  whom  he  had  tried  in  vain  to  quiet 
even  to  a  reasonable  degree,  when  it  looked  as  if  they  would  tear 
each  other  to  pieces  the  very  next  moment,  he  gave  a  large  butcher 
knife  and  pistol  (which  was  empty),  after  the  negroes  had  been  tied 
together  with  a  cord  so  that  they  could  not  separate  more  than  a 
few  feet.  He  then  told  them  to  "  go  for  each  other "  and  settle  the 
matter  and  do  it  quickly.  And  there  was  immediate  peace. 


EMOTIONS  OF  THE  NEGRO  245 

The  Negro,  however,  sometimes  plans  to  injure  those 
who  are  the  object  of  his  anger,  and  if  he  has  all  the  ad 
vantage  on  his  side,  he  will  provoke  occasion  to  give  vent 
to  his  feelings.  But  such  a  feeling  is  of  short  duration. 
Sometimes  the  Negro  is  very  determined  in  his  purpose  to 
wreak  vengeance,  and  for  a  time  goes  quietly  about  his 
plans,  but  he  rarely  persists;  rather  his  fury  is  abated  and 
soon  forgotten.  Such  is  the  general  quality  of  the  aftger 
commonly  found  among  the  negroes.  There  is  observed 
too  a  milder  form  of  anger  caused  by  wounded  feelings 
or  disappointment.  This  is  rarely  expressed  in  action, 
more  generally  in  the  everyday  language  of  abuse  so  com 
mon  among  the  negroes.  Threats  made  against  the  of 
fending  party  to  others  and  made  in  a  bragging  monologue, 
appear  to  give  great  satisfaction.  Some  negroes,  however, 
are  willing  to  back  up  their  words  by  deeds.  When  thor 
oughly  angry  the  Negro  is  irresponsible  and  apparently 
void  of  human  feelings  or  sympathy.  In  the  crowd  it  not 
infrequently  happens  that  the  individual  will  work  himself 
into  a  frenzy,  beginning  with  simple  boasts  and  threats, 
reinforced  by  a  weapon  and  what  he  feels  is  admiration 
from  the  crowd.  Intoxicants  have  such  an  effect  upon  the 
Negro's  conduct.  Such  a  tendency  and  facility  for  violent 
explosions  renders  the  group  of  negroes  peculiarly  liable  to 
crime  and  their  society  unsocial. 

The  accidental  causes  which  arouse  the  Negro's  anger 
are  found  in  circumstances  such  as  have  been  indicated 
and  in  sudden  physical  stimuli.  The  Negro  is  easily  an 
gered  by  those  whom  he  thinks  his  inferiors.  He  is  easily 
angered  by  members  of  his  own  race  and  is  easily  pro 
voked  when  no  other  emotion  is  felt  to  conflict  or  when 
fear  or  jealousy  combine.  Many  young  negroes  manifest 
an  ugly  attitude  toward  white  children  and  apparently  show 
anger  toward  them.  But  the  Negro  more  rarely  becomes 


246     SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [550 

angry  at  the  white  man's  abuse;  he  rather  submits,  and 
his  matter-of-fact  yielding  takes  away  the  possibility  of  a 
momentary  excitement  of  anger,  while  his  spirit  of  sullen- 
ness  afterwards  hardly  goes  so  far  as  anger.  He  is  char 
acterized  by  the  lack  of  vindictiveness  so  far  as  thought  or 
feeling  take  the  form  O'f  action.  There  is,  then,  in  the  typi 
cal  negro  little  of  the  intellectual  anger  intermingled  with 
the  emotional,  as  compared  with  other  forms  of  anger  and 
with  the  same  emotion  among  the  whites. 

A  further  analysis  of  the  negro's  anger  indicates  that  a 
very  great  part  has  its  origin  in  jealousy  over  persons. 
This  is  not  only  true  of  the  women,  who  fight  and  quarrel 
because  of  jealousy  and  envy,  but  it  is  also  true  of  the  men, 
and  it  would  appear  that  at  least  eighty  per  cent  of  the 
fights  and  personal  encounters  among  the  negroes  are  or 
dinarily  caused  by  the  woman  in  the  case.  And  just  as 
jealousy  leads  to  intensity  of  the  animal  passion  peculiarly 
in  the  case  of  the  negroes,  so  with  this  emotion  go  laughter, 
shrieking,  singing  and  various  expressions  of  wanton 
recklessness  and  morbid  pleasure  in  the  pouring-out  of  the 
animal  passion.  The  vocabulary  used  to  give  expression 
to  feelings,  the  probable  reflex  origin  of  his  anger,  possibili 
ties  of  restraint  in  training,  in  reflection,  in  the  presence  of 
witnesses,  and  what  the  treatment  should  be,  will  furnish 
interesting  phases  of  the  subject  in  connection  with  the 
general  interpretation  of  the  Negro's  status. 

Again,  in  the  case  of  sympathy  and  the  tender  emotion, 
the  nature  of  the  feelings  indicates  that  they  are  more 
hereditary  than  intellectual  development.  Or  perhaps  such 
emotions  have  developed  only  incompletely,  and  the  more 
intellectual  as  well  as  the  spontaneous  expressions  of  real 
sympathy  are  governed  much  by  feeling  in  general  or  by 
the  special  forms  of  sensations.  Fear  and  self-feeling  ap 
pear  to  completely  overshadow  what  might  otherwise  de- 


55 1  ]  EMOTIONS  OF  THE  NEGRO  247 

velop  into  real  sympathy.  But  where  there  is  no  restraint, 
and  the  sympathy  conflicts  with  no  personal  interest  or  un 
pleasant  effort,  the  physiological  form  of  the  emotion  is 
clearly  seen.  Such  is  spontaneous  sympathy  of  the  negroes 
for  each  other  and  for  an  occasion  in  their  public  meetings. 
At  church  they  are  in  sympathy  with  every  word  and  motion 
of  the  preacher,  and  they  are  in  sympathy  with  each  other's 
movements.  They  sanction  what  the  preacher  has  to  say, 
whether  they  understand  it  or  not,  and  their  exclamations 
of  assent  include  many  regular  forms  of  "  amens."  They 
nod,  bow,  their  bodies  sway  to  and  fro  according  to  the 
stage  of  the  sermon,  until  yielding  to  the  impulse  there  is  a 
perfect  harmony  of  bodily  rhythm  and  a  perfect  rhythm  of 
sympathetic  feeling.  So  too,  when  the  white  man  speaks  to 
the  negroes,  they  assume  from  the  beginning  the  attitude  of 
approval  and  there  is  a  distinct  evidence  of  sympathy.  So  it 
is  in  most  of  the  meetings  if  no  personal  interest  is  chal 
lenged,  and  many  negroes  have  been  seen  to  nod  their  as 
sent  weakly  to  everything  a  whiteman  was  saying,  though 
his  total  utterance  was  the  abuse  of  the  Negro  in  his  political 
aspirings.  Under  the  influence  of  music  and  dancing  the 
Negro  has  little  control  over  his  body  and  feet,  and  when 
one  foot  has  begun  to  "  pat  "  and  beat  time,  it  would  in 
deed  be  an  interesting  problem  to  prevent  others  from 
joining  in.  An  unconscious  and  sympathetic  movement 
corresponds  to  each  wave  of  rhythm  in  the  music  and  to  the 
movement  of  the  fiddler.  And  one  has  yet  to  see  the  negro 
"  music  physicianer  "  picking  his  banjo  with  his  feet  still. 
Again  the  Negro  easily  adapts  himself  to  various  circum 
stances  and  a  part  of  his  imitation  may  be  explained  by 
noting  the  original  element  of  sympathy  that  exists.  The 
Negro  often  seems  ill  at  ease  unless  he  is  able  to  conduct 
himself  as  those  about  him,  and  in  a  way  feels  ill-adjusted 
unless  he  can  perform  an  action  exactly  as  he  knows  it 


248     SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [552 

should  be  done;  on  the  other  hand  thoughts  of  himself  and 
sympathy  for  his  own  hard  time,  not  infrequently  transcend 
the  former  feeling.  Negroes  are  usually  in  sympathy  with 
those  for  whom  they  work,  if  they  work  in  harmony,  and 
conimonly  speak  of  the  work  and  property  as  "  ours  ",  and 
laud  the  superiority  of  their  boss's  methods  to  any  other, 
thus  showing  a  bit  of  sympathy  along  with  the  self-feeling. 
The  sympathy  may  be  one  of  fears.  Negroes  when 
panic-stricken,  are  easily  thrown  into  tumult,  and  all  are  very 
likely  to  follow  the  prevailing  opinion  of  the  leader,  or  the 
first  impression  most  generally  becomes  current.  Excite 
ment  spreads  more  rapidly  among  them  than  among  the 
whites.  A  report  of  a  crime,  death,  or  sensational  thing, 
and  especially  if  it  is  of  racial  interest,  appears  to  travel 
almost  twice  as  fast  as  among  the  whites.  The  negroes 
form  a  medium  unsurpassed  for  the  transmission  of  news, 
and  the  lack  of  resistance  is  due  partly  to  the  sympathy 
feeling.  So  in  superstitions,  a  single  report  with  little 
foundation  soon  becomes  a  common  belief.  And  the  fear 
or  belief  thus  quickly  and  easily  fixed  in  the  Negro's  mind, 
can  be  removed  only  with  the  greatest  difficulty.  The 
sympathetic  emotion  is  nowhere  more  prominent  than  in  the 
tendency  of  the  negroes  to  protect  their  criminals  and 
furnish  information  to  those  who  are  fugitives.  Race 
feeling  against  the  white  man,  whether  in  the  negative  sense 
or  the  positive  aspect,  is  partly  one  of  fellow-sympathy. 
Out  of  this  grows  the  society  or  clannish  spirit  of  the  more 
recent  negro,  and  the  secretive  nature  of  the  Negro  is  ex 
plained  to  a  large  degree  by  the  same  principle.  The  sum 
of  it  all  may  be  seen  in  the  various  societies,  unions,  and 
orders  and  whatever  appeals  to  the  gregarious  instinct,  and 
out  of  these  grows  the  increased  race  agitation.  With  them 
comes  much  that  will  build  up  the  race  within  itself,  and 
also  many  perverted  notions  and  much  wasted  energy.  No- 


EMOTIONS  OF  THE  NEGRO  249 

where  could  the  sympathetic  feeling  be  analyzed  better  than 
in  this  phase.  Again  the  Negro  sympathizes  much  with 
his  own  poor,  down-trodden  self  and  often  broods  into  sul- 
lenness  and  gloom  over  seeming  injustices.  Such  is  a  racial 
sympathy.  It  is  not  observed  the  one  toward  the  other. 
For  in  their  societies  they  quarrel  and  dispute  over  the  ma 
jority  of  measures  that  come  before  them,  and  personal 
prominence  in  the  management  of  such  affairs  plays  an  im 
portant  part;  envy  and  strife  are  everywhere.  The  crim 
inal  records  and  the  testimony  of  many  lawyers,  indicate 
that  a  very  large  per  cent  of  the  negroes  convicted  for 
smaller  crimes  have  been  reported  by  other  negroes  who  wish 
thereby  to  repay  a  grudge  of  short  standing.  It  has  been  a 
common  criticism  of  the  negroes  that  they  will  not  work  to 
gether  in  harmony  long  enough  to  accomplish  a  work  of 
lasting  worth,  and  there  is  much  to  substantiate  the  state 
ment.  Again  it  is  the  overshadowing  self-feeling  and  in 
terest  that  takes  away  the  probability  of  sympathy. 

Some  evidences  of  the  higher  forms  of  sympathy  may  be 
seen  in  the  working  of  the  fraternal  societies  in  ministering 
to  the  sick,  the  widows  and  the  orphans,  and  in  paying  off 
benefits.  While  the  obligation  of  the  society  upon  its  mem 
bers  seems  in  every  case  to  be  the  direct  cause  of  the  service, 
sympathy  often  grows  out  of  the  deed,  and  the  members  of 
such  societies  grow  enthusiastic  in  their  advocacy  of  the 
cause,  giving  these  deeds  of  service  as  evidence.  So  it  hap 
pens  that  the  leaders  of  the  various  societies  have  come  to 
feel,  in  addition  to  the  personal  gratification  of  succeeding 
in  rivalry,  an  eager  interest  in  their  work.  Much  of  the 
formal  sympathy  among  the  negroes  may  be  observed  in 
their  prayers,  for  the  preacher,  the  "  sisters "  and  the 
"  brethren  ",  the  "  sinner  "  and  the  "  dancers  ".  The  prayer 
is  uttered  with  apparent  feeling  and  it  may  be  that  a  result 
ant  state  of  sympathy  is  produced.  Again,  there  is  apparent 


250     SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [554 

sympathy  among  the  negroes  for  whites  whom  they  have 
known  for  some  time,  or  for  those  who  have  befriended 
them.  In  a  somewhat  listless  way  they  show  sympathy  for 
their  suffering;  they  come  and  inquire  about  those  who  are 
sick,  and  when  one  dies  they  ask  to  be  permitted  to  go  to  the 
funeral  and  to  look  upon  the  face  of  the  dead.  This  is  the 
case  with  the  older  darkies  for  their  masters  or  the  family 
of  former  masters,  and  it  is  often  so  with  the  children  of  the 
old  slaves  who  have  remained  near  the  children  of  the  former 
slave  owner.  It  is  indeed  an  impressive  scene  to  see  these 
negroes  with  bared  heads  following  the  procession  of  the 
funeral  of  a  white  friend,  and  after  the  burial  walking 
around  listlessly;  or  if  a  white  friend  is  ill,  to  see  them 
coming  and  going  at  intervals  or  standing  around  the 
premises  in  silence.  It  is  a  scene  which  Southern  whites 
are  loath  to  give  up,  a  sympathy  which  they  love.  Negroes 
often  manifest  marked  sympathy  for  children  in  their  plans 
and  play,  and  miss  them  when  sick.  The  older  negroes 
show  their  sympathy  by  efforts  to  administer  to  the  com 
fort  of  their  little  friends.  The  younger  negroes  with  less 
experience  seem  utterly  at  a  loss.  As  a  people  they  are  very 
sympathetic,  governed  much  of  course  by  their  treatment, 
since  their  feelings  are  easily  played  upon.  A  number  of 
men  of  broad  experience  have  insisted  that  in  case  of  sick 
ness  a  servant  comparatively  new  will  be  most  careful  and 
all-attentive,  whereas  in  a  healthy  state  she  might  be  care 
less.  Many  instances  have  been  noted  on  the  contrary  where 
they  have  taken  advantage  of  adverse  conditions  to  demand 
more  pay  and  if  not  granted  they  have  stopped  working. 
There  are,  however,  many  cases  oi  sympathy  and  fidelity 
that  may  not  be  questioned.  The  negro  also  apparently 
manifests  a  kind  of  sympathy  at  all  funerals  and  burial  ser 
vices  among  his  own  people,  both  for  the  ceremony  and  for 
those  who  are  called  upon  to  bury  the  dead.  But  in  all  cases 


555]  EMOTIONS  OF  THE  NEGRO  251 

where  the  negro  shows  sympathy  there  is  little  outward  ex 
pression.  His  face  is  set,  and  his  eyes  have  the  look  of  ap 
peal,  awe  and  wonderment. 

Much  remains  to  be  known  about  the  tender  emotion  of 
the  Negro.  The  scenes  just  mentioned  seem  to  indicate  a 
feeling  or  sometimes  real  affection,  blind  and  vague  it  may 
be,  but  having  the  qualities  of  the  tender  emotion.  The  old 
love  of  the  slave  and  his  master,  the  former  love  of  boy  com 
rades,  and  the  faithfulness  of  the  slave  and  his  children  to 
the  master  and  his  family,  will  scarcely  be  surpassed  in  the 
records  of  many  peoples.  But  if  this  affection  has  passed 
so  quickly,  what  must  have  been  its  nature?  Was  it  the  af 
fection  of  servitude  and  had  it  only  in  it  the  negative  self- 
feeling  ?  Among  the  negroes  of  the  present  generation  there 
is  little  of  this  spirit  of  affection  seen  and  it  becomes  neces 
sary  to>  inquire  into  the  nature  of  the  tender  emotion  as  it 
is  found  most  generally  among  the  negroes  of  to-day. 
While  it  is  doubtful  if  there  is  enough  evidence  to  warrant 
a  full  statement  concerning  the  affections  of  the  negroes, 
it  is  apparently  based  on  the  gregarious  impulse  and  upon 
a  passive  sympathy  rather  than  upon  individual  emotions 
intellectually  developed.  The  emotion  is  rarely  of  long  dura 
tion.  The  protective  instinct,  too,  seems  to  have  an  im 
portant  place  in  the  make-up  of  the  tender  emotion,  and  may 
be  seen  in  the  attitude  of  the  parent  in  protecting  the  child 
from  abuse.  The  mother  will  sing  to  the  child  in  her  arm 
for  an  hour  or  more,  and  perhaps  the  very  next  moment  will 
abuse  it  unmercifully,  but  she  will  not  permit  it  to  be  abused 
by  another.  Jealousy  resembles  affection  in  its  surface  mani 
festations.  On  the  other  hand,  filial  affection  seems  to  pass 
away  with  the  coming  of  youth,  and  most  negro  youngsters 
apparently  have  no  love  or  care  for  their  parents.  They 
wish  rather  to  be  free  from  parental  control  and  work.  Per 
haps  the  majority  leave  home,  many  do  not  return  for  a 


252     SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [556 

long  time,  many  never  return,  nor  do  these  negroes  inform 
their  parents  of  their  whereabouts.  Many  of  the  negro 
parents  were  asked  if  they  knew  where  their  children  were. 
Few  could  tell  exactly,  many  had  an  idea  that  they  were  at 
such  and  such  a  place,  still  others  affirmed  that  they  were  at 
a  certain  place  some  time  ago,  while  many  knew  nothing  of 
them.  With  sometimes  a  vacant  look  of  sadness  in  their 
eyes,  with  sometimes  a  careless  manner,  they  declared  that 
they  did  not  know  where  they  were.  And  while  one  can  not 
affirm  that  appearances  are  true,  such  a  state  of  affairs 
seems  to  carry  with  it  no  special  sorrow.  The  negro  mother 
rarely  mourns  for  her  wandering  child,  or  sits  up  at  night 
waiting  for  his  return  or  thinking  of  him.  The  father 
shows  little  care  except  that  of  losing  a  laborer  from  his 
work.  They  have  often  been  known  to  attempt  to  enter  suit 
against  the  husband  of  the  daughter  in  an  effort  to  get  her 
back  for  no  other  reason  than  for  her  work.  The  nature 
of  the  affection  of  the  child  for  the  parents  seems  to  be  purely 
that  of  dependence,  and  when  he  has  outgrown  this  feeling 
the  relation  between  child  and  parents  has  changed.  Often 
when  without  food  or  shelter,  the  negro  wanderer  longs 
for  his  childhood  days  with  the  parents  and  appeals  for  pity 
as  a  "  po'  boy  'long  way  from  home  ",  "  got  no  whar  to  lay 
my  weary  head  ",  or  "  ain't  got  a  frien'  in  dis  worl  ".  But 
when  his  physical  wants  have  been  satisfied,  he  no  longer 
thinks  of  home  or  parents  in  general.  The  Negro  has  no 
loved  ones.  Numbers  were  asked  for  the  names  of  those 
whom  they  considered  friends  or  whom  they  loved  or  those 
who  loved  them.  The  question  was  put  in  various  ways 
with  different  subjects,  but  the  returns  were  the  same.  They 
often  seemed  surprised  at  the  question  and  answered,  some 
times  at  once,  sometimes  after  reflection,  that  there  was  no 
one,  nor  did  they  seem  to  feel  the  sadness  of  the  situation. 
A  few  thought  that  a  number  of  white  people  were  their 


557]  EMOTIONS  OF  THE  NEGRO 

friends.  But  as  a  rule  the  Negro  is  without  friendship 
among  his  own  people.  Pathetic  would  seem  the  life  that 
is  lived  in  loneliness,  nor  looks  to  aught  of  love  for  the  light 
ening  of  a  peculiar  labor,  nor  ever  lingers  by  the  light  of  a 
lasting  affection.  Full  many  a  negro  has  served  faithfully 
his  day,  has  come  to  old  age,  neglected  and  forgotten  by  his 
race,  destitute.  Is  it  surprising  that  in  his  own  emotional 
way  he  is  thankful  that  his  "  time  ain't  long  "  or  that  he 
longs  to  pass  over  "  de  ribber  "  ?  So  they  say,  thus  they 
sing,  how  shall  their  feeling  be  analyzed  ? 

The  negro's  infatuation  for  his  sweetheart  is  yet  to  be 
mentioned,  for  the  lover's  life  constitutes  the  greater  joy 
and  consumes  the  greater  part  of  the  young  negro's  thought, 
One  could  never  doubt  this  after  perusing  hundreds  of  their 
crude  lyrics  and  love  ditties.  The  nature  of  this  love  is  dis 
cussed  fully  elsewhere.  There  is  need  to  mention  here  the 
element  of  jealousy  which,  with  the  quality  of  physical  at 
traction  and  sex-feeling,  make  up  the  complete  affection. 
Negro  courtship  would  indeed  be  a  dull  and  monotonous 
matter  were  it  not  for  the  quarrels  and  fights,  the  infidelity 
and  changeableness  of  parties  on  both  sides.  The  negro 
lover  is  often  unwilling  to  be  out  of  the  sight  of  her  with 
whom  he  is  infatuated,  but  such  is  invariably  of  short  dura 
tion.  The  Negro  is  not  constant,  and  is  happy  because  he 
"  has  woman  an'  sweetheart,  too.  If  woman  don't  love 
me  sweetheart  do  ".  Jealousy  is  the  principle  means  of  at 
taining  desired  personal  ends. 

Self-feeling  or  the  sense  of  self  is  strong  in  the  Negro, 
and  is  peculiarly  characterized  by  both  its  positive  form  and 
its  negative  form,  each  in  a  distinctly  marked  degree.  The 
sense  of  self  in  its  positive  form  is  expressed  in  the  feeling 
of  importance  and  manifests  itself  on  various  occasions  and 
in  many  ways.  Perhaps  nowhere  is  it  more  marked  than  in 
the  negro  preacher,  who  stands  lord  o>f  all  that  comes  within 


254     SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [558 

his  domain.  In  the  pulpit,  while  preaching  and  adminis 
tering  the  affairs  of  church,  he  assumes  and  feels  that  the 
destiny  of  the  hour  lies  in  his  own  importance  and  his 
ability  to  make  his  followers  feel  the  same  attitude.  When 
visiting  another  church  or  a  conference  he  appears  to  feel 
even  more  of  such  a  dignity.  In  the  home  his  lordly  airs 
and  condescending  grace  and  manners  approach  the  perfect 
art.  He  is  irresistible,  his  self-feeling  is  superb.  His  ef 
forts  to  evoke  admiration  are  not  in  vain  and  he  is  a  uni 
versal  favorite  among  the  "  sisters  ".  His  whole  attitude 
is  one  that  would  have  his  word  the  final  law  and  it  would 
be  difficult  to  find  his  parallel.  So  important  is  he  that  he 
is  beyond  sin  and  his  self-feeling  gives  him  free  and  unques 
tioned  license  to  do  whatever  he  wishes.  Likewise  he  ex 
pects  special  favors  from  the  white  man  and  assumes  that 
the  assertion  that  he  is  a  preacher  will  identify  him  on  all 
occasions.  It  is  indeed  a  rare  spectacle  to  see  a  hundred  or 
more  of  these  preachers  at  their  conferences  and  cpnven- 
tions.  Dressed  in  their  long  coats,  and  sometimes  tall  hats, 
they  vie  with  each  other  to  look  the  biggest  man.  ,  Some 
there  are  who  have  traveled  in  "  furrein  lands  "  and  can 
"  speak  in  seven  languages  ".  They  are  indeed  kings  and 
lords.  The  fact  cannot  be  denied  that  they  are  a  dis 
tinguished-looking  set  and  their  looks  are  only  surpassed  by 
their  utterances.  The  same  general  principle  is  true  of  other 
negro  leaders,  officers  of  the  various  churches  and  societies, 
and  the  young  "  educated "  negroes,  the  latter  having 
slightly  the  advantage  in  the  feeling.  So  with  the  young 
sters  who  delight  in  being  the  "  sports  "  of  the  town.  Watch 
one  of  them !  With  his  "  Sunday  clothes  on ",  his  hat 
tossed  on  the  back  or  side  of  his  head,  a  cigar  or  cigarette 
in  his  mouth,  language  is  entirely  inadequate  for  his  expres 
sion  and  he  stalks  there  the  perfect  image  of  human  nothing 
ness.  So,  too,  the  "  rounders  ",  the  "  eastmans  ",  and  the 


559]  EMOTIONS  OF  THE  NEGRO  255 

"  creepers  "  go  from  place  to  place,  the  favorites  of  the 
women,  the  envy  of  the  men  in  general,  and  the  terror  of  the 
country  negro.  Swaggering  and  sweeping  all  before  them, 
such  negroes  feel  a  sense  of  self  that  is  not  measured  within 
the  bounds  of  wanton  recklessness. 

The  self-feeling  is  very  much  in  evidence  ip  the  love  of 
dress  as  such.  Both  men  and  women  often  value  fine  clothes 
above  all  else.  They  sacrifice  the  actual  necessities  in  the 
effort  to  "  dress  up  ".  The  boys  model  after  the  latest 
fashions;  the  women  strive  to  outshine  each  other  in  new 
dresses  and  brilliant  colors.  Dress  and  adornment  are  the 
horizon  of  their  vision  on  a  Sunday.  Negroes  often 
work  and  save  their  earnings  for  weeks  and  months  to  have 
the  satisfaction  of  walking  up  the  aisle  in  church  to  con 
tribute  five  to  twenty-five  cents,  though  it  takes  as  many 
trips  to  the  table  as  there  are  coins  to  be  put  in.  Each 
thinks  she  is  the  envy  of  every  other  one  in  the  congregation. 
Love  of  dress,  love  of  show,  and  anything  which  is  con 
ducive  to  self-centered  feelings,  anything  to  give  the  im 
pression  of  being  above  the  others,  and  thus  gain  attention 
— these  experiences  rank  among  the  first  of  those  which 
give  the  Negro  the  highest  pleasure  and  enjoyment.  The 
effort  to  eliminate  the  kinks  of  the  hair  and  other  racial 
features  represent  another  evidence  of  the  self-feeling  and 
skilful  advertisers  have  learned  this  well  enough  to  make  a 
profitable  business  from  the  manufacture  of  various  reme 
dies. 

In  children,  the  self-feeling  may  be  seen  in  two  general 
phases.  The  first  is  that  of  proud  feeling  similar  to  that 
already  mentioned.  The  same  markings  are  in  evidence: 
boasting  and  bragging,  the  abuse  of  smaller  children,  sex- 
superiority,  at  home,  in  school,  on  the  streets,  with  defiance 
for  all  ordinary  conventions.  The  small  boy  can  whistle  a 
better  tune  and  much  louder  than  the  average  white  man 


256     SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [560 

and  his  path  is  the  path  of  conquest,  his  face  wreathed  in 
the  simplicity  of  impudence.  The  small  negro  girl  can 
make  faces  at  her  playmates  and  assume  attitudes  of  super 
iority  equal  to  the  task  of  a  comic  slave.  The  small  boy's 
look  of  innocence  and  unconcern  while  executing  or  planning 
to  execute  the  most  intricate  plots  of  mischief  would  rival 
a  sleeping  Mercury.  His  commanding  presence  is  good. 
His  composure  and  positiveness  on  most  occasions  are  re 
markable.  The  second  form  of  self-feeling  in  negro  chil 
dren  is  that  which  they  feel  when  first  they  recognize  that 
they  are  negroes,  and  are  limited  to  certain  bounds.  This 
has  been  discussed  in  Chapter  I. 

The  effort  to  make  felt  the  self-feeling  is  seen  in  numer 
ous  other  ways :  the  letter-heads  and  stationery  of  negro 
leaders,  teachers  and  preachers,  with  sometimes  their  photo^- 
graph  and  titles  of  a  half-dozen  offices  inscribed  thereon, 
the  inserting  of  photographs  in  all  reports  where  possible. 
Witness  a  single  report  from  a  conference  which  has  no  less 
than  seven  hundred  and  sixty-eight  individual  photographs, 
besides  others  in  groups.  Their  love  of  committees  and 
honors,  their  eagerness  to  get  into  print,  and  the  extrava 
gance  of  thei'r  self-commendation  and  commendation  of  one 
another  is  typical.  Their  list  of  adjectives  is  quite  extraor 
dinary.  The  self-feeling  is  seen  in  the  wounded  pride  of 
such  negroes  when  asked  to  do  some  little  menial  task,  and 
in  the  insolence  of  laborers  of  the  sorrier  class.  It  is  ex 
pressed  in  a  phrase  now  common  among  the  negroes :  "  I'm 
jes  good  as  any  white  woman  "  and  many  others.  It  is 
seen  in  their  love  of  big  words  and  their  efforts  to  use  elo 
quent  language  on  all  occasions. 

The  outward  markings  and  physical  manifestations  of 
the  positive  self-feeling  have  been  indicated:  Holding  the 
head  high,  stepping  high,  throwing  back  the  head  and 
shoulders,  strutting,  or  on  the  other  hand,  walking  in  a 


561]  EMOTIONS  OF  THE  NEGRO  257 

wanton,  reckless  swagger,  and  general  bumptiousness; 
gesticulating,  being  puffed  up  with  conceit,  attempt  to  at 
tract  attention — bluff  in  all  of  its  forms.  The  description 
must  be  left  to  the  master  cartoonist.  It  would  seem  that 
some  of  the  negroes  actually  look  bigger  after  having  made 
a  journey  or  having  held  an  "  important  "  position.  This 
same  spirit  and  satisfaction  in  self-feeling  is  manifested  in 
a  larger  degree  in  the  rituals,  regalia  and  ceremonies  of  the 
secret  societies  and  in  the  titles  given  the  leading  officers. 
Such  is  indeed  a  gay  procession  and  few  things  are  enjoyed 
more  than  these  processions  of  celebration  or  funerals.  The 
evidence  of  the  positive  self-feeling  is  seen  in  an  almost  uni 
versal  tendency  among  the  negroes  to  abuse  the  weak,  ne 
glect  the  aged,  and  to  form  superficial  conceptions  of  all 
social  ideals. 

It  will  thus  be  seen  that  examples  of  the  positive  self-feel 
ing  are  to  be  found  almost  wholly  among  the  negroes  in  their 
relations  with  one  another,  and  that  this  peculiar  sense  of 
self  is  a  significant  characteristic.  The  negative  self-feeling 
has  been  most  commonly  depicted  among  the  negroes.  They 
have  been  known  as  easily  a  subject-people,  proverbial  for 
humility  and  submission.  The  Negro  is  still  marked  by 
these  traits  in  his  relations  to  the  white  man.  This  feeling 
may  be  seen  in  his  humility  and  in  his  mock  humility.  He  is 
easily  intimidated  and  submissive,  manifests  the  spirit  of 
weakness  and  inferiority.  Deference  and  needless  giving 
way  to  the  white  man,  walking  on  the  outside  of  the  street, 
tipping  the  hat  and  various  acts  of  deference  are  typical 
representations.  It  is  also  evident  in  stealth,  sneakishness, 
cowardice  and  the  lack  of  some  of  the  better  qualities.  These 
well-known  facts  need  only  to  be  mentioned.  The  degree 
to  which  they  are  being  overcome  will  constitute  an  inter 
esting  phase  of  his  development.  The  saying  has  been  a 
common  one,  and  the  belief  a  general  one  among  certain 


258     SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [562 

people  that  the  man  never  lived  who  could  manage  and  work 
negroes  successfully  without  the  assistance  of  profanity. 
There  is  much  in  the  statement,  for  the  negroes  are  easily 
influenced  by  overbearing  and  positive  conduct.  But  the 
negroes  submit  almost  as  easily  to  injustices  done  them  by 
members  of  their  own  race  who  have  attained  or  appear  to 
have  attained  some  superiority.  The  unreasonable  demands 
and  actions  of  the  preacher  are  absurd;  the  negroes  look 
upon  their  so-called  learned  men  with  awe  and  respect.  They 
yield  readily  to  demands  made  by  negro  property-owners, 
though  unreasonable.  They  are  preyed  upon  by  quack- 
doctors  and  tricksters  who  assume  the  part  of  magicians  and 
conjurers. 

Many  careful  students  of  the  Negro  have  asserted  that 
the  only  striving  which  the  average  negro  has  is  a  desire 
for  social  equality  with  the  whites.  Many  others  have 
maintained  that  such  a  desire  is  not  common.  Testimony 
from  both  negroes  and  white  men  conflicts.  It  is  not 
possible  to  make  an  accurate  statement  concerning  such 
aspirations.  Likewise  it  is  difficult  to  describe  the  spirit 
ual  and  philosophical  strivings  of  the  Negro.  His  ideas 
are  simple  and  vague,  seeking  the  place  O'f  least  resistance 
and  of  most  pleasure  to  be  expressed.  So  far  as  is  expressed 
there  is  little  of  defmiteness  to  the  Negro's  thoughts,  but 
more  of  the  loose  physiological  processes,  feelings  and  re 
actions.  There  is  little  of  the  pure  ego  or  self-consciousness 
in  the  spiritual  sense,  so-called.  Likewise  the  Negro's  ideas 
of  God,  of  the  devil,  of  heaven,  of  hell,  reveal  a  general 
attitude  of  doubt  and  fear  but  with  little  particular  ques 
tioning.  The  Negro  sympathizes  much  with  himself  as 
being  one  of  a  down-trodden  people ;  there  is  apathetic  mor- 
oseness  but  little  effort  for  individual  striving.  The  Negro 
loves  to  talk  to  himself,  to  sing  to  himself  and  to  muse  on 
many  themes.  The  dramatic  feeling  is  strong  and  the  sense 


563]  EMOTIONS  OF  THE  NEGRO 

of  impersonation  is  developed  to  a  marked  degree.  Negroes 
impersonate  with  skill  and  show  a  marked  descriptive  power. 
Impressions  are  easily  made  upon  the  Negro  and  many  are 
permanently  retained.  The  feeling  of  not  being  like  others 
leads  to  imitation,  where  it  would  otherwise  be  neglected, 
and  this  itself  is  largely  a  self-feeling  more  ttyan  a  desire 
for  approval  as  such.  Adaptation  as  it  is  commonly  found 
among  the  negroes  is  the  self-feeling  in  its  negative  form 
and  positive  intent.  The  strivings  of  the  group  are  chiefly 
for  emotional  satisfaction  and  for  a  recognition  by  the  world 
at  large. 

It  has  generally  been  assumed  that  the  Negro  is  differ 
entiated  by  a  distinct  sexual  development.  It  is  affirmed 
that  the  sex  development  crowds  out  the  mental  growth. 
It  is  affirmed  that  the  period  of  puberty  in  boys  and  girls  is 
marked  by  special  manifestations  of  wildness  and  uncon- 
trol.  It  is  true,  too,  that  the  practices  of  the  negroes  leave 
little  energy  for  moral  and  mental  regeneration.  Their  lives 
are  filled  with  that  which  is  most  carnal ;  their  thoughts  are 
most  filthy  and  their  morals  are  generally  beyond  descrip 
tion.  Again,  physical  developments  from  childhood  are 
precocious  and  the  sex  life  begins  at  a  ridiculously  early 
period.  But  granting  these  truths  it  is  doubtful  if  there 
is  sufficient  evidence  to  warrant  such  a  conclusion.  The 
Negro  reveals  a  strong  physical  nature;  the  sex  impulse  is 
naturally  predominant.  But  its  manifestations  are  probably 
no  more  violent  and  powerful  than  are  the  expressions  of 
other  feelings  already  suggested.  The  Negro's  sensuous 
enjoyment  of  eating  and  drinking  and  sleeping,  relatively 
speaking,  are  no  less  marked  than  his  sexual  propensities. 
Likewise  lack  of  control  and  extreme  manifestations  char 
acterize  the  discharge  of  other  impulses.  It  is  true,  again, 
that  the  part  played  by  sexual  life  among  the  negroes  is 
large  for  a  people;  but  to  state  that  the  Negro  is  inherently 


260     SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [564 

differentiated  and  hindered  by  a  sexual  development  out  of 
proportion  to  other  physical  qualities  is  quite  a  different  pro 
position.  But  whether  the  question  here  raised  is  answered 
in  the  affirmative  or  not,  it  still  remains  that  in  the  practical 
life  of  the  Negro  his  better  impulses  are  warped  and  hin 
dered  by  his  unreasonable  abuse  of  sexual  license.  And  it 
is  safe  to  suggest  that  the  Negro  need  hope  for  little  develop 
ment  of  his  best  qualities  until  he  has  learned  to-  regulate 
and  control  his  animal  impulses. 

The  continuous  expression  of  various  emotions  has  given 
rise  to  many  morbid  feelings  among  the  negroes.  Such 
feelings  are  expressed  in  both  morbid  pleasures  and  pains. 
It  is  seen  in  the  appetite  for  various  filthy  things  to>  eat,  in 
the  extreme  gratification  of  impulse  and  in  many  kinds  of 
perversion.  In  his  anger  the  Negro  often  finds  great  pleas 
ure  in  laughing,  jeering,  striking  madly  about  him.  Such 
is  the  common  boast  over  a  stricken  body,  the  desire  to  look 
upon  dead  bodies,  to  attend  funerals.  Again,  the  bragging, 
handling  of  knives  and  pistols,  boasting,  singing,  love  of 
criminal  notoriety,  abuse  of  the  weak,  hoodlumism,  and  ex 
treme  feelings  of  megalomania  are  touches  of  the  morbid 
pleasure.  It  is  seen  again  in  the  expression  of  sullenness 
and  moroseness  and  the  new  melancholia  which  is  clearly 
an  affective  state  O'f  little  sudden  or  positive  development 
Morbid  pain  is  less  recognized  among  the  negroes ;  many  ex 
treme  manifestations  of  emotion  are  pain  experiences  un 
recognized.  The  pleasure-pain  impulse  is  everywhere  pre 
dominant  from  the  lowest  pleasure  to  the  gratification  of 
religious  sentiment. 

The  two  general  characteristics,  then,  of  the  Negro's 
emotional  nature  are  the  lack  of  restraint  and  the  consequent 
extreme  expression  of  the  feelings.  The  Negro's  emotions, 
then,  are  little  more  than  impulses.  The  tendency  is,  in  all 
manifestations,  for  the  emotion  to  run  its  course  with  little 


565]  EMOTIONS  OF  THE  NEGRO  26l 

inhibition,  thus  giving  rise  to  many  violent  forms  of  expres 
sion.  It  thus  happens  that  those  feelings  which  require  less 
of  the  physical  stimuli  are  little  developed  among  the 
negroes. 

The  emotional  worship  of  the  negroes  and  their  social 
group-feelings  have  been  noted  in  Chapters  II  arfd  III.  Men 
tion  has  also  been  made  of  the  Negro's  social  self-feeling  as 
manifested  in  his  love  of  display,  praise  and  notoriety.  All 
of  the  Negro's  emotional  states  are  highly  intensified  by  the 
crowd;  the  sympathetic  like-response  is  powerful  to  sway 
the  many  as  one  individual.  While  the  Negro  is  very  much 
of  a  social  being  his  social  self  has  not  yet  revealed  clear  and 
distinct  qualities  of  development.  His  attention  to  circum 
stances  is  passive  and  sensuous;  his  social  self  has  not  de 
veloped  the  love  of  home  and  family  nor  the  desire  to  accu 
mulate  property.  Withal,  the  Negro  has  two  distinct  social 
selves,  the  one  he  reveals  to  his  own  people,  the  oth£r  he 
assumes  among  the  whites,  the  assumption  itself  having  be 
come  natural. 


CHAPTER  VIII 
THE  NEGRO  PROBLEM  :  AN  ESTIMATE  OF  THE  NEGRO 

THE  story  of  the  Negro,  even  since  he  has  come  to  de 
note  the  "  Negro  Problem,"  has  been  an  intricate  and  com 
plicated  story.  His  own  record,  including  his  privations, 
experiences  and  achievements,  is  one  of  more  than  ordinary 
adventure,  while  the  records  of  controversies,  legislations 
and  discussions  concerning  the  best  policies  to  be  adopted 
for  his  welfare  present  a  remarkable  series  of  inconsistencies. 
The  Negro  has  contributed  much  to  the  industry  of  the 
South  at  the  same  time  that  he  has  constituted  its  chief  prob 
lem.  He  has  contributed  much  of  its  happiness  and  pros 
perity  and  much  of  its  poverty  and  crime.  His  story  has 
been  one  of  happiness  and  humor  and  it  has  been  one  of 
pathos  and  sorrows.  It  has  had  its  comedy  and  farce  and  it 
has  produced  its  tragedy.  At  times  exciting  and  tense, 
involving  the  passions  of  both  whites  and  blacks,  of  the 
North  and  of  the  South,  and  seeming  to  offer  little  encour 
agement  for  a  happy  ending,  his  story  has  yet  never  lacked 
the  quality  of  hopefulness  to  those  who  have  seen  the  deeper 
significance  of  its  setting.  However,  the  Negro's  story  pre 
sents  a  problem  for  modern  civilization  at  once  complex, 
compound,  and  momentous,  and  leaves  it  for  the  present,  if 
not  unsolved,  at  least  continuous. 

Speculations,  theories  and  methods  of  solutions  for  the 

problem  have  been  offered  without  intermission.     It  would 

be  difficult  to  find  a  problem  which  has  been  the  subject  of 

more   conflicting  opinions,   opposite,  extremes   and    incon- 

262  [566 


567]  THE  NEGRO  PROBLEM  263 

sistencies,  and  for  which  so  many  solutions  have  been  of 
fered.  Not  only  have  private  individuals,  editors,  authors 
and  politicians  offered  their  solutions,  but  distinguished 
educators,  statesmen  and  judges  have  contributed.  Sin 
cere  thinkers  biased  by  prejudice,  earnest  philanthropists 
lacking  in  judgment,  individuals  seeking  notorie>y  and  repu 
tation,  politicians  and  theorists,  together  with  sane,  con 
servative  thinkers  and  efficient  workers  have  alike  contri 
buted  to  the  ridiculous  number  of  solutions  proposed. 
Policies  have  been  outlined,  in  the  adoption  of  which  lay  the 
only  salvation  of  the  South  and  the  Negro,  the  rejection  of 
which  would  mean  the  utter  desolation  of  the  land  or  the 
annihilation  of  the  Negro.  Prophecies  and  conclusions  have 
been  given  with  consummate  confidence  and  satisfaction. 
Estimates  have  been  based  on  "  conclusive  evidence  "  where 
no  evidence  existed.  To  realize  the  full  extent  of  unrea 
son  involved  in  the  proposed  solutions  and  measures  it  is 
only  necessary  to  read  the  history  of  the  discussions  in  gen 
eral,  the  discussions  of  the  problems  involved  in  the  mi 
gratory  movements  of  the  negroes,  the  discussions  con 
cerning  negro  enfranchisement  and  disfranchisement,  negro 
education  and  the  political  and  constitutional  history  of  the 
United  States  from  1840  through  the  reconstruction  period. 
Many  of  the  documents  setting  forth  such  measures  and 
policies  already  appear  as  curious  and  entertaining  data. 
It  is  true,  however,  that  the  Negro  has  survived  them  all 
with  a  good  degree  of  vigor  and  a  hopeful  future,  and 
that  he  presents  a  normal  difficult  problem  of  a  dynamic  con 
dition  of  economic,  political  and  social  development. 

In  view  of  the  extended  discussions  concerning  the  Negro, 
it  may  well  be  doubted  if  anything  new  can  be  said.  Not 
only  has  the  Public  become  so  thoroughly  tired  of  any  dis 
cussion  of  the  Negro  Problem  that  it  no  longer  cares  for 
the  sensational  stories,  but  it  has  ceased  to  give  serious 


264     SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [568 

thought  to  the  consideration  of  the  real  problem.  The  dis 
cussions,  at  least,  have  become  a  national  joke,  and  the 
Public  responds  with  characteristic  feeling,  "  It's  the  same 
old  story."  But  on  the  other  hand,  valuable  contributions 
have  been  made  to  the  study  of  the  situation  and  to  the  un 
derstanding  of  conditions.  Research  into  the  real  condi- 
ditions  and  possibilities  of  the  negro  race  are  yet  limited  and 
there  is  need  of  a  clear  understanding  of  the  problem.  And 
the  careful  student  may  well  hope  to  assist  in  interpreting 
the  problem  with  results  that  are  both  profitable  and  inter 
esting.  It  should  be  remembered  that  the  problem  does  not 
consist  wholly  of  a  single  or  even  of  a  number  of  incidents 
to  the  situation,  nor  is  it  a  problem  of  a  few  generations. 
The  solution  does  not  consist  in  the  elimination  of  present 
unpleasant  or  objectionable  features.  It  need  only  be  sug 
gested  that  the  adoption  of  many  of  the  policies  proposed 
would  have  involved  more  serious  difficulties  than  those 
which  were  eliminated.  Again,  it  should  be  remembered 
that  the  conditions  under  which  the  problem  is  working  are 
extremely  dynamic  and  subject  to  complex  forces.  In  such 
conditions  the  solution  of  the  problem  must  begin  with  the 
most  successful  working  of  present  conditions  with  a  view  to 
future  improvements.  The  solution  of  the  problem  thus  has 
two  chief  aspects,  an  ultimate  solution  and  an  immediate  one. 
The  ultimate  solution  can  be  reached  only  through  the 
adoption  of  effective  policies  in  dealing  with  actual  condi 
tions.  Whatever  this  final  solution  may  be,  the  present  con 
ditions  constitute  the  immediate  problem,  and  a  thorough 
knowledge  of  this  problem  is  the  first  essential.  Such  a 
knowledge,  with  its  successful  application  and  direction, 
must  be  the  only  solution  of  the  immediate  present. 

An  effective  interpretation  of  the  Negro  Problem  involves 
not  simply  a  general  knowledge  of  the  present  condition  of 
the  Negro.  It  involves  an  accurate  estimate  of  the  Negro's 


569]  THE  NEGRO  PROBLEM  26$ 

capacities  and  tendencies  that  go  far  back  of  his  present 
status  and  reflect  the  history  of  the  race.  It  involves  an 
estimate  of  his  inherent  qualities  that  goes  far  beyond  the 
present  indication  of  what  his  future  possibilities  may  be.  And 
such  an  interpretation  includes  not  only  this  clear  exposition 
of  what  the  Negro  is,  but  also  a  similar  estimate  of  the 
full  environment  in  which  he  is  to  live,  with  its  exacting 
conditions.  And  it  involves  a  sane  and  liberal  correlation 
of  the  sum  of  accurate  information  that  is  obtainable  with 
practical  thinking  and  with  working  conditions.  The  prob 
lem  can  thus  be  viewed  relatively.  It  should  not  be  assumed 
that  because  the  present  condition  of  the  negroes  presents 
a  somewhat  discouraging  outlook,  and  because  the  "  weak  " 
tendencies  seem  to  predominate,  that  there  is  need  for  pes 
simism.  If  the  Negro's  standard  of  home  life  and  living  is 
not  high,  it  is  also  true  that  similar  conditions  exist  in  the 
slums  of  our  cities  and  in  other  countries.  If  his  mental 
ability  and  capacity  seem  lacking  or  undeveloped,  it  should 
be  remembered  that  he  has  already  advanced  much  beyond 
his  racial  condition  in  Africa.  At  the  same  time,  it  should 
be  remembered  that  the  Negro  differs  from  the  whites  not 
only  in  development,  but  also  in  kind.  It  is  a  knowledge 
of  this  "  kind  "  which  is  the  first  essential  to  a  satisfactory 
discussion  of  the  problem.  If  the  more  negative  character 
istics  and  tendencies  are  emphasized  in  the  summary  of 
negro  character  which  follows,  it  is  in  consideration  of  the 
fact  that  they  constitute  the  basic  criterion  of  the  Negro's 
exact  condition,  and  that  in  their  correction  and  proper 
adjustment  lies  the  hopeful  outlook  for  the  race./  It  may 
be  suggested  that  these  most  important  traits  are  the  ones 
which  indicate  the  inherent  possibilities  of  the  Negro  and 
that  they  are  precisely  those  that  are  capable  of  being  built 
upon.  Furthermore,  they  are  the  normal  outgrowth  of  the 
forces  and  processes  that  have  been  operating  to  effect  the 
development  of  the  Negro. 


266     SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [570 

The  results  of  careful  research  into  the  conditions  of  the 
negro  race  in  the  South  show  that  the  condition  under 
which  the  negroes  live  are  not  conducive  to  good  conduct, 
to  the  growth  of  strong  character  or  to  the  development  of 
a  h.ealthy  social  organism.  The  negroes  live  in  crowded 
quarters  and  inferior  houses.  There  is  little  home  life 
among  them.  They  move  from  place  to  place  and  form 
little  home  attachment.  Families  are  much  broken  up  and 
there  is  indiscriminate  mixing  in  the  home.  Filth  and  un 
sanitary  conditions  prevail.  Irregular  habits  of  life,  un 
certain  incomes  and  irregular  food-supplies  are  common  to 
the  great  mass  of  negroes.  Disease  and  bad  health  are 
prevalent  to  an  alarming  extent  Vice  and  immorality,  ex 
cesses  and  lack  of  restraint  intensify  the  general  conditions, 
and  take  much  of  the  Negroe's  energies.  He  is  thus  in 
capacitated  for  a  full  degree  of  efficiency  in  the  struggle  for 
life.  As  a  laborer  the  Negro  is  becoming  unsatisfactory 
with  the  tendency  increasing  under  present  conditions.  He 
receives  higher  wages  but  does  less  efficient  work.  The 
negro  woman  constitutes  a  serious  feature  of  the  situation. 
She  fails  to  assist  the  men  in  a  better  struggle,  she  is  in 
efficient  and  indisposed  to  be  faithful.  She  is  a  hindrance 
to  the  successful  saving  of  money  and  the  industrial  develop 
ment  of  the  family.  The  Negro  is  not  increasing  his 
economic  prosperity  nor  his  moral  stability.  He  is  more 
of  an  offender  than  he  is  a  criminal.  His  weaknesses  pre 
dominate  over  his  aggressive  tendencies.  At  the  same  time 
his  offences  are  on  the  increase  and  are  out  of  proportion 
to  his  numerical  relation  to  the  population.  Chiefly,  his 
crime  is  due  to  the  expression  of  animal  impulses  and  a 
lack  of  restraint.  The  majority  of  crimes  are  committed 
by  younger  negroes,  and  reformatory  measures  seem  to 
have  little  corrective  influence.  The  criminal  tendency  to 
gether  with  the  various  forms  of  vagrancy  and  bumptious- 


57 1  ]  THE  NEGRO  PROBLEM  267 

ness  constitute  a  menacing  situation  to  both  races.  The  fear 
of  the  law  offers  the  most  effective  check  to  the  bad  pro 
pensities  of  the  Negro.  His  religion,  while  associating  in 
thought  much  of  the  moral  and  ethical  element,  has  little 
practical  bearing  upon  conduct.  Education,  as  it  has  been 
conducted,  has  not  made  the  Negro  strong. 

The  Negro  is  very  much  of  a  social  being.  His  gre 
garious  habits  satisfy  his  social  wants.  He  is  constantly 
engaged  in  mingling  with  his  fellows  at  large,  and  is  less 
often  at  home  with  his  family.  He  is  ingenuous  in  im 
provising  methods  of  entertainment  and  enjoys  his  social 
feelings.  The  Church,  the  Lodge  and  various  other  as 
sociations  supplement  his  private  functions  in  offering  ample 
opportunity  for  the  outlet  of  his  social  energy.  The  qual 
ity  of  his  entertainment  is  not  of  a  high  order  and  in 
creases  the  conditions  for  irregular  morals.  Church  ser 
vices  offer  much  of  the  better  entertainment  for  the  Negro 
and  occupy  much  of  his  time  and  energy.  About  equal 
with  the  Church,  the  Lodge  furnishes  social  enjoyment  and 
contributes  to  race  pride.  The  fraternal  organizations  have 
become  an  institution,  sometimes  rated  above  the  home,  the 
church  and  school.  They  offer  avenues  for  the  discussion 
and  control  of  racial  interests  and  for  benefits  and  insurance 
to  its  members.  They  encourage  the  social  features  of 
burial  and  funeral  ceremonies.  They  have  had  a  pheno 
menal  growth  and  do  a  large  amount  of  business  among  the 
negroes,  thus  filling  an  important  want.  The  Negro  shows 
power  for  organization  and  for  obtaining  money  from  his 
people.  A  remarkable  enthusiasm  and  pride  are  manifested 
in  such  societies  and  their  undertakings.  They  further 
encourage  the  founding  of  industries,  organizations  and 
schools,  where  there  is  opportunity  for  immediate  growth. 
In  their  schools  the  negroes  have  done  little;  they  have  re 
ceived  little  encouragement  from  the  whites.  The  facilities 


268     SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [572 

and  conditions  under  which  they  operate  are  not  favorable. 
Both  whites  and  blacks  show  indifference.  Their  teachers 
are  for  the  most  part  inefficient  and  irresponsible  and  the 
irregular  attendance  and  application  to  work  prevent  per 
manent  results.  On  the  whole  the  conditions  of  the  South 
ern  Negro  are  far  from  satisfactory.  Physically,  mentally, 
morally  and  socially,  he  has  serious  charges  to  meet.  It  is 
possible  to  interpret  the  present  conditions  as  indicating 
deterioration,  if  continued  at  the  present  rate,  under  the 
lack  of  restraint  on  the  one  hand  and  lack  of  constructive 
living  on  the  other. 

The  conditions  of  negro  life  as  thus  briefly  outlined  re 
flect  the  more  general  attitudes  and  tendencies  from  which 
they  grow.  There  is  in  the  Negro  little  home  conscious 
ness,  more  of  the  general  social  consciousness.  This  has 
its  effect  upon  the  general  standard  of  morals  and  ideals, 
while  at  the  same  time  his  low  state  of  social  consciousness 
and  control  does  not  lead  him  to  develop  a  love  of  home  and 
family.  The  Negro  often  shows  much  hospitality  of  a 
sort  to  strangers,  more  rarely  lasting  friendship  and  affec 
tion.  Freedom  from  restraint  and  parental  control  are 
much  desired  by  the  younger  negroes.  There  is  little  par 
ental  and  filial  affection,  and  little  abiding  solicitude  for  the 
welfare  of  members  of  the  family.  There  is  little  respect 
and  care  for  the  aged  and  infirm.  There  are  few  high 
ideals  of  woman,  wife  and  mother,  and  little  thought  of  in 
dividual  chastity  and  of  the  purity  of  the  home.  The 
Negro  entertains  no  definite  ideas  of  health  and  hygiene, 
nor  of  an  individual  responsibility  for  his  own  conduct. 
He  looks  upon  labor  as  an  evil  necessity  and  is  developing 
a  professional  ethics  of  vagrancy.  He  exercises  little  fore 
thought  and  believes  in  an  ideal  condition  of  future  material 
welfare  much  in  the  same  way  that  he  sings 


573] 


THE  NEGRO  PROBLEM 

When  I  git  to  Heaven,  gwin'  er  ease,  ease, 
Me  an'  my  God  gwin'er  do  as  we  please. 


He  shows  little  desire  to  acquire  property,  and  his  society 
satisfies  his  physical  cravings  more  than  it  produces  in 
dustry.  The  negroes  love  notoriety  and  distinction;  those 
who  do  not  admire  their  leaders  and  notorious  Characters 
wonder  at  their  powers.  Crime  is  not  a  cause  for  social 
ostracism  or  condemnation.  /Social  prejudices  and  caste 
ideas  are  entertained  by  the  negroes  of  the  higher  class. 
Jealousies  and  conflicts  mar  the  harmony  of  social  organi 
zations  and  prevent  effective  work.  Successful  display  and 
quantitative  results  are  the  marks  of  success.  Education 
is  valued  in  proportion  as  it  makes  the  individual  important 
in  the  eyes  of  his  people  and  as  it  relieves  him  from  physical 
labor.  /Religion  is  a  panacea  for  all  sins  and  an  emotional 
belief  in  a  future  happiness  to  be  obtained  without  sacrifice. 
Much  stress  is  placed  upon  the  importance  of  the  life  after 
death  and  much  emphasis  given  to  burial  and  funeral  rites. 
In  fine,  the  Negro  has  little  social  pressure,  concentrated 
beliefs  or  definite  conventions  that  control  conduct  in  his 
own  society,  which  demand  the  development  of  homes,  the 
acquirement  of  property,  the  equipment  for  life,  the  faith 
ful  performance  of  duty  or  individual  achievement.  In 
stead  he  quickly  responds  to  whatever  circumstances  offer 
the  most  pleasure  and  the  least  resistance.  On  the  other 
hand,  it  is  hopeful  to  compare  the  possibilities  that  lie  in 
the  simple  fidelity  of  a  simple  home  and  family  of  an  in 
dustrious  negro,  with  its  patient,  persistent,  faithful  per 
formance  of  obligations  and  the  simple  thoughts  of  an 
imaginative  and  emotional  religion  which  becomes  a  true 
reality  of  life. 

These  general  attitudes  and  social  tendencies  again  indi 
cate  the  more  specific  traits,  the  psychological  processes  and 


270     SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [574 

sociological  tendencies  of  the  Negro.  Sensuous  feelings 
and  simple  emotions  reflect  the  predominance  of  the  physical 
impulses  and  pleasure-pain  feelings.  Feeling  gives  rare 
reality  to  the  Negro,  and  that  which  does  not  have  such 
reality  appeals  little  to  his  conscious  or  unconscious  states. 
The  Negro  is  strong  in  the  expression  of  the  primitive  emo 
tions.  Fear  is  expressed  for  the  most  part  as  a  feeling 
apart  from  the  individual  experience  and  involving  more  of 
the  imagination.  The  Negro  is  easily  aroused  to  a  feeling 
of  fear  and  this,  intensified,  completely  incapacitates  him  for 
usefulness.  He  shows  inability  to  sustain  his  control  or 
convictions  and  is  thus  lacking  in  courage.  The  feeling 
of  fear  is  most  manifest  in  the  fear  of  officers,  of  the  law, 
of  strangers,  of  the  unexpected,  superstitious  fears  of  the 
supernatural,  morbid  fears  of  death  and  the  dead,  and  in  a 
general  child-like  fear  of  certain  animals  and  things.  Over 
against  this  feeling  of  fear  the  Negro  often  manifests  a 
remarkable  degree  of  daring  and  recklessness,  seemingly  out 
of  the  pure  pleasure  it  gives  him  in  the  self-feeling.  Anger 
appears  as  a  passion  easily  excited,  running  riot,  uncon 
trollable,  insatiable,  expressing  itself  in  a  blind  instinct  to 
destroy,  but  is  quickly  forgotten.  Such  animal  passion 
momentarily  excited  takes  various  forms :  maddened  jeal 
ousy,  wanton  recklessness,  morbid  pleasure  in  the  gratifica 
tion  of  the  feeling  of  superiority,  and  the  pouring-out  of 
animal  impulse.  It  sometimes  approaches  the  state  of  de 
mentia  in  women.  It  is  further  manifest  in  the  vile  de 
nunciation  of  those  who  are  considered  enemies.  The 
Negro  is  easily  angered  by  sudden  physical  stimuli,  by 
jealousies,  by  those  considered  inferior  to  himself,  and  by 
members  of  his  own  race.  Fear  and  deference  often  pre 
vent  anger  in  the  case  of  superiors.  The  Negro  does  not 
cherish  his  anger  for  long  periods  of  time  nor  is  the  feeling 
of  revenge  lasting.  The  positive  self-feeling  is  prominent 


575]  THE  NEGRO  PROBLEM  2?I 

in  the  Negro's  feeling  of  importance,  pride,  dignity,  wanton 
ness,  bumptiousness,  license  and  in  his  feelings  of  injured 
dignity  in  relation  to  -white  children.  The  first  person  is 
magnified  in  all  thoughts  and  actions.  The  positive  self- 
feeling  is  manifest  for  the  most  part  among  members  of 
his  own  race.  The  negative  self-feeling,  as  seep  in  humil 
ity,  self-pity,  lack  of  assertiveness,  subjection  to  others, 
while  most  commonly  shown  toward  the  whites,  is  equally 
characteristic  in  the  relation  to  negro  leaders  and  advent 
urers.  Sympathy  is  most  characteristic  in  the  simple  phy 
siological  response  to  circumstances  and  suggestions  of  the 
moment,  and  is  freely  expressed  where  no  stronger  emotion 
conflicts.  This  feeling  may  take  the  form  of  simple  un 
conscious  rhythmical  expressions  of  feeling,  response  to 
the  crowd,  imitation,  or  it  may  be  sympathy  of  fear  or  ex 
citement.  Sympathy  is  strong  in  the  appeal  for  pity  in 
the  child-like  wail  of  the  wanderer,  in  a  self  appeal  which 
enables  him  to  arouse  pity  and  obtain  favors.  Such  a  self- 
sympathy  and  its  objective  response  is  the  source  of  pleas 
urable  feeling.  The  Negro  manifests  sympathy  for  the 
whites  in  momentary  circumstances.  While  the  Negro  ex 
presses  a  quick  sympathetic  feeling  toward  the  circumstances 
of  the  moment,  he  is  seemingly  capable  of  little  lasting 
sympathy,  affection  or  gratitude,  less  so  than  formerly. 
Hence  he  often  appears  to  be  void  of  fellow-feeling,  harsh 
and  unrelenting  in  his  judgment,  unsympathetic,  when  the 
positive  self-feeling  is  uppermost  in  his  consciousness.  The 
Negro  shows  feelings  of  sorrow  and  grief  to  which,  by  habit 
and  custom,  he  gives  much  form  and  expression,  but  he  as 
easily  puts  them  aside  and  outgrows  them.  Love  for  the 
most  part  is  physical.  The  social  emotions  are  little  de 
veloped  into  strong  forces,  although  the  majority  of  the 
Negro's  emotions  are  expressed  in  the  group  aspect.  In 
abstractions  of  thought  and  moral  maxims,  in  the  satisfac- 


272     SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [576 

tion  of  the  feeling  of  oughtness  and  self-approbation,  the 
social  feelings  are  reflected  with  some  defmiteness.  They  are 
further  seen  in  the  love  of  ritual,  regalia,  music,  love  of 
concerted  expression,  love  of  the  wonderful,  and  of  satis 
factory  forms  of  organizations.  Friendship,  loyalty  and 
recognition  of  worth  are  little  apparent.  The  parental  and 
filial  emotions  are  expressions  of  interest  and  dependence. 
But  in  all  cases  of  the  expression  of  emotions,  the  Negro  is 
especially  sensitive  to  alternations  and  opposites.  Exalta 
tion  and  depression,  gaiety  and  gloom,  boastfulness  and 
timidity,  excitement  and  agitation,  pleasure  and  pain — all 
these  reflect  the  qualities  and  flexibilities  of  the  Negro's  emo 
tions.  The  Negro  may  often  repress  his  emotions,  so  that 
expectation,  fear  or  disappointment  may  not  be  detected  in 
his  appearance.  These  susceptibilities  to  influences  and  the 
conceptions  of  the  higher  emotions  in  abstract  ideals  which 
are  common  among  the  negroes  reveal  latent  possibilities, 
so  that  the  emotions  of  the  Negro  may  be  his  strongest  as 
well  as  his  weakest  point. 

By  means  of  the  careful  analysis  of  these  traits  and  ten 
dencies,  it  is  possible  to  summarize  them  into  a  reasonably 
accurate  estimate  of  negro  character-tendencies  and  the 
potentials  of  the  race.  From  the  more  sociological  ten 
dencies,  in  addition  to  those  already  indicated,  and  in  dif 
ferent  representations,  the  summary  shows :  The  Negro  is 
expressive  *  in  his  abuse  of  others,  hilarity,  lying,  exagger- 
tion,  indecent  language,  expression  of  feeling  in  rhythmic 
motion,  love  of  music,  love  of  display,  devotion  to  worship 
and  social  activities,  in  his  general  emotionalism,  and  in  his 
inactivity  and  superficiality.  His  appropriativeness  is  seen 

1  The  terms  expressive,  gregarious  etc.  as  used  in  this  paragraph 
were  suggested  by  Dr.  Thomas  P.  Bailey  in  an  analysis  of  negro 
character  as  found  in  some  of  the  Negro's  folk-songs. 


THE  NEGRO  PROBLEM 


273 


in  his  love  of  money,  covetousness,  theft  scheming,  his  imi 
tation  and  adaptability  and  in  his  desultory  work.  He  is 
gregarious  in  his  sexual  morality,  sociality,  conformity  to 
law  and  the  group,  imitation  and  originality,  his  simple  hon 
esty  and  in  his  spontaneous  expressiveness.  Gregarious- 
ness  and  appropriativeness  combined  give  vagrancy,  wan 
dering,  sense  of  dependence,  lack  of  restraint,  provincialism, 
childishness  and  lack  of  moral  earnestness.  The  Negro  is 
assertive  in  the  expression  of  the  positive  self-feeling,  in 
agitation,  and  in  competition  with  whites  and  blacks.  The 
Negro  is  responsive  to  forceful  circumstances  and  to  the 
emotions.  This  is  further  seen  in  his  imitation  and  interest 
He  is  unresponsive  in  his  lack  of  reverence  for  old  age,  lack 
of  affection  and  friendship.  From  the  psychological  pro 
cesses,  the  emotions  predominate  as  already  indicated.  In 
the  intellect,  there  is  much  imitation  and  adaptation,  fatal 
ism,  set-mindedness,  in  which  all  the  senses  are  turned  to 
ward  the  perception  of  one  attitude,  which  is  often  mis 
guided  imagination  or  hypnotism  by  an  idea,  little  open  to 
reason;  the  Negro  shows  concretism,  a  vivid  imagination, 
humor,  lack  of  will-power  in  inertia  and  unsustained  con 
trol,  elasticity  of  spirit,  love  of  euphonious  words,  incon 
sequential  and  incoherent  thought,  little  reasoning  power, 
love  of  the  morbid  and  curious,  but  with  little  perceptiveness 
and  observational  power.  Association  plays  an  important 
part  through  suggestion  but  the  association  systems  are 
meagre  and  there  is  little  sustained  and  constructive 
thinking. 

The  Negro  thus  shows  a  remarkable  combination  of  both 
negative  and  positive  traits  of  mental,  moral  and  social 
development.  He  is  neither  an  aberrant  form  of  other 
races  nor  a  hopelessly  arrested  type  of  any  race.  There  is 
unity  and  consistency  everywhere  between  the  forces  and 
processes  that  have  been  working  and  are  still  working,  and 


274     SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [578 

his  present  status.  A  spontaneous,  shifting,  erratic,  ramb 
ling,  incoherent  nature  seeking  freedom  from  restraint, 
gratification  of  impulse,  and  the  experience  of  sustained 
languor  finds  natural  satisfaction.  Its  superficiality  enjoys 
the  show  of  apparent  results  without  caring  for  the  details 
of  achievement.  It  avoids  details  and  difficult  tasks  and 
recognizes  no  causal  relation  between  stability  and  pros 
perity.  The  Negro's  is  an  easy-going  indolence  seeking 
freedom  to  indulge  itself  and  seeking  to  avoid  all  circum 
stances  which  would  tend  to  coerce  or  restrain  its  freedom. 
Such  character-attitude  and  temperament,  with  an  inherit 
ance  of  mental  stupidity  and  moral  insensibility,  find  their 
expression  through  a  being  capable  of  physical  endurance, 
but  improvident,  extravagant,  lazy  rather  than  industrious, 
faithful  and  unfaithful  in  the  performance  of  duties,  easily 
adaptable,  imitative,  lacking  initiative,  dishonest  and 
untruthful,  with  little  principle  of  honor  or  conception  of 
right  and  virtue,  superstitious,  over-religious,  suspicious  and 
incapable  of  a  comprehension  of  faith  in  mankind. 

Again,  it  is  possible  to  state  a  compact  summary  of  the 
Negro's  chief  characteristics  in  still  other  terms,  with  a 
view  to  ascertaining  the  proper  forces  which  might  be 
brought  to  bear  upon  the  adjustment,  co-ordination  and 
development  of  the  more  primal  traits  and  the  stronger 
qualities.  By  these  characteristics  is  meant  a  degree  of 
tendency  bordering  on  the  extreme  or  approximating  the 
complete  qualities  described,  allowing  always  for  the  quali- 
cations  and  overlappings.  First,  the  Negro  easily  responds 
to  stimuli,  that  is,  he  is  controlled  by  present  impulses. 
This  results  in  almost  complete  lack  of  restraint,  including 
both  the  yielding  to  impulses  and  inertia.  Second,  this 
free  response  tends  always  to  pleasure,  sometimes  the  pleas 
ure  being  more  or  less  unconscious  in  the  simple  giving 
way  to  impulse  and  the  breaking-down  of  restraint  or  in 


579]  THE  NEGRO  PROBLEM 

the  negative  feeling  of  non-exertion.  The  Negro  is  there 
fore  inactive.  Third,  the  Negro  tends  to  carry  all  responses 
to  an  extreme.  He  loves  plenty  of  varied  stimuli.  This 
exhausts  and  degenerates  his  vital  powers.  Fourth, 
the  Negro  has  little  capacity  for  sustained  control.  This 
applies  to  sustained  efforts,  conduct  in  genera^  morality, 
convictions  and  thought.  He  is,  therefore,  weak  in  social- 
and  self-control  and  lacking  in  self-direction.  Fifth,  he 
does  not,  therefore,  lend  himself  to  the  development  of 
deep  and  permanent  qualities  through  the  working  out  of 
essential  processes.  Sixth,  he  is  therefore  superficial  and 
irresponsible. 

It  is  very  necessary,  however,  to  view  such  general  ten 
dencies  of  inactivity  and  superficiality  with  careful  discrim 
ination,  and  to  be  cautious  in  interpreting  them  as  "  nega 
tive  "  tendencies.  It  will  be  observed  that  the  positive 
qualities  are  very  much  in  evidence  but  are  little  expressed 
because  there  is  little  pressure  on  them.  The  Negro  shows 
great  plasticity  and  much  promise.  His  rich  variety  of 
life  and  the  flexibility  of  his  nature,  his  sympathetic  adapta 
bility  and  the  plasticity  of  his  consciousness  may  well  be 
the  basis  for  permanent  ability.  His  love  of  a  good  time, 
hilariousness  and  boisterous  nature,  and  the  feeling  for  a 
free  rhythmical  expression  in  an  unrestrained  outburst  of 
impulses  should  be  directed  into  channels  of  positive  growth. 
Furthermore,  the  feelings,  emotions,  the  flowing  conscious 
ness  of  the  Negro,  his  mental  imagery  of  unusual  vividness 
and  his  powerful  visualization  reveal  a  wonderful  spon 
taneity.  Much  of  this  is  expressed  at  present  in  his  artistic 
feelings,  his  gorgeous  portrayals,  varied  versatility,  his 
abrupt  descent  from  the  sublime  to  the  ridiculous,  the  blend 
ing  of  the  homely  with  the  awful,  an  enjoyment  of  crude 
humor,  quick  response  in  repartee,  richness  of  folk-songs 
and  thought,  concreteness,  vividness,  clearness  and  direct- 


276     SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [580 

ness  in  expression  and  action.  Negro  children  show  a 
marked  degree  of  brightness  and  a  reasonable  measure  of 
ability.  Interest  and  enjoyment  may  grow  into  application 
and  achievement.  And  it  would  be  difficult  to  find  a  more 
picturesque  life  than  that  of  the  simple  industrious  negro, 
with  his  honest  idealism  and  simple  honesty,  and  his  naive 
faith  and  optimism  in  the  policies  of  life.  There  is  ample 
evidence  that  it  is  possible  for  this  to  grow  into  a  broader 
concepton  •£  life,  a  consistent,  steady  growth  in  character 
and  a  substantial  economic  ability. 

But  such  attainments  may  not  be  reached  through  sudden 
growth.  Efficient  forces  must  direct  the  processes  and  as 
sist  the  Negro  in  adapting  himself  to  his  environment.  The 
Negro  must  recognize  his  own  condition  and  what  it  will 
require  to  better  it.  The  conditions  of  the  environment 
itself  must  be  thoroughly  known,  and  so  far  as  possible  they 
must  be  brought  to  his  assistance.  'The  problem  then  con 
sists  essentially  of  two  parts,  the  developing  of  the  Negro's 
ability,  and  the  advantageous  adjustment  to  the  civilization 
in  which  he  is  to  achieve  his  place.  Suggestions  concerning 
the  possibilities  and  methods  of  assisting  the  Negro  are  made 
elswhere.1  It  is  not  only  essential  to  know  the  condition  of 
the  Negro  but  it  is  also  necessary  to  understand  these  con 
ditions  in  their  relation  to  the  environment  which  surrounds 
tke  Negro  and  with  which  he  will  have  to  compete.  The 
problem  of  this  environment  is  the  problem  of  the  relation 
between  the  whites  and  blacks.  This  race-relation  consists 
of  two  essentially  important  aspects,  the  economic  and  in 
dustrial  relations,  and  the  general  political  and  social  rela 
tions  which  must  exist  in  various  forms  and  problems  be 
tween  the  white  man  and  the  Negro.  Of  these  two  general 
aspects,  the  more  important  is  that  involved  in  the  industrial 
and  economic  factors  which  will  be  brought  to  bear  upon 

1  Chapter.  I. 


58 1  ]  THE  NEGRO  PROBLEM  277 

the  Negro  in  the  future.  The  most  important  feature  of 
this  aspect,  again,  is  the  part  which  the  Negro  himself  must 
play  in  fixing  his  status  and  in  preparing  for  competition 
and  progress. 

And  nowhere  is  it  more  important  to  have  a  thorough 
knowledge  of  the  Negro's  complete  character /than  in  tho 
consideration  of  his  present  economic  condition  and  his 
future  possibilities.  In  no  field  of  the  Negro's  endeavor  is 
the  causal  relationship  between  his  traits  and  tendencies  and 
his  present  condition  more  clearly  seen.  In  the  sense  of 
remedying  these  conditions  by  beginning  at  their  source,  the 
economic  problem  is  the  only  problem  facing  the  Negro. 
In  the  solving  of  this  difficulty  will  be  the  solution  of  the 
entire  problem  for  the  whites  and  blacks  so  far  as  a  pro 
gressive,  dynamic  problem  can  be  solved.  But  there  is 
clearly  a  distinct  problem  to  be  solved  in  thus  bettering  the 
condition  of  the  Negro  and  in  the  economic  development  of 
the  South.  It  is  not  asking  too  much  of  the  whites  to  help 
the  Negro  toward  the  ideal  which  should  apply  to  all  la 
borers,  namely,  to  do  that  which  he  is  best  fitted  to  do  with 
the  most  satisfaction  to  himself  and  others,  and  with  good 
pay.  It  is  not  expecting  too  much  of  the  Negro  to  demand 
that  he  prepare  himself  to  do  his  work  well,  and  that  he 
hold  an  exalted  idea  of  labor  and  find  wholesome  satisfac 
tion  in  an  industrious  life.  For  the  immediate  emphasis 
must  be  placed  upon  the  industrial  condition  of  the  Negro 
as  a  laborer  and  his  relation  to  the  whites  in  this  capacity, 
rather  than  his  general  economic  condition  in  acquiring 
property.  Through  efficiency  and  successful  adjustment 
in  the  former  relation  he  will  come  to  a  substantial  degree 
of  economic  prosperity  in  the  latter.  Two  aspects  of  the 
situation  which  are  interrelated  throughout  their  develop 
ment,  present  themselves  for  immediate  consideration. 
First,  the  question  of  the  efficiency  of  negro  laborers  their 


278     SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [582 

attitude  toward  labor,  and  the  proportion  of  those  working 
to  those  idle,  and  second,  the  opportunities  for  negro  labor 
and  the  relations  between  white  and  colored  laborers.  For 
the  results  of  idleness  and  indisposition  of  the  negroes  to 
work  with  the  accompanying  insolence,  on  the  one  hand,  and 
the  competition  with  whites  in  future  condition,  on  the  other, 
will  cause  more  race  conflicts  than  all  other  questions  of 
social  and  political  relations. 

In  the  labor  problem  of  the  South  there  is  undoubtedly  a 
problem  facing  both  races  which  did  not  exist  even  a  few 
years  ago.  The  chief  service  of  an  inquiry  like  this  is  to 
give  the  exact  representations  of  conditions  and  to  interpret 
the  problem.  In  the  first  place,  it  should  be  remembered 
that  the  Negro  is  a  general  laborer  working  for  and  under 
the  supervision  of  the  whites,  including  agricultural  la 
borers  and  women  workers.  There  is  a  small  percent  of 
skilled  laborers  and  still  another  small  proportion  working 
independently  for  themselves  or  for  other  negroes.  Again, 
the  mass  of  negro  laborers  are  not  united  in  working  in  in 
dustries,  but  for  the  most  part  each  laborer  works  separately 
as  a  general  laborer.  In  this  general  capacity,  the  Negro 
plays  an  important  part  in  the  industrial  development  of 
the  South,  in  assisting  to  produce  comforts  and  to  satisfy 
the  wants  of  the  whites,  and  in  this  way  he  maintains  his 
own  standard  of  living.  The  Negro  labor  in  the  South  is 
solely  an  unorganized  and  unintegrated  body  of  negroes 
capable  of  doing  a  certain  amount  of  work.  There  is  ample 
work  for  all  at  reasonable  wages.  Within  the  last  two  de 
cades  the  price  of  labor  has  almost  doubled.  There  is  a 
strong  demand  at  this  rate  and  no  negro  need  be  unem 
ployed.  In  fact,  the  South  is  beginning  to  be  handicapped 
by  a  lack  of  labor  and  for  the  want  of  efficient  laborers. 
And  still  a  great  number  of  negroes  remain  idle  much  of 
their  time,  working  only  when  compelled  to  do  so  by  law  or 


583]  THE  NEGRO  PROBLEM  279 

necessity.  There  is  an  increasing  number  of  negroes  who. 
are  unwilling  to  do  manual  labor  of  an  unpleasant  sort,  and 
an  increasing  number  who  are  unwilling  to  remain  employed 
steadily.  The  influence  of  such  negroes  in  the  community 
is  more  exasperating  that  can  be  indicated  without  seeming 
exaggeration.  They  are  equally  injurious  to  ^ie  Negro  in 
the  race  conflicts  which  they  cause,  the  example  which  they 
set,  in  the  vice  and  crime  of  which  they  are  guilty,  in  the 
permanent  lowering  of  the  average  of  race-ability,  and  in 
the  drainage  which  they  entail  for  their  support.  Not  only 
is  this  class  not  humiliated  by  such  conditions,  but  such 
individuals  consider  their  policies  a  point  of  pride  and  cause 
for  congratulation.  They  can  live  without  work,  have  a 
good  time,  and  in  their  self-satisfaction  know  that  they  rep 
resent  an  ideal  among  many  of  the  younger  negroes.  Such 
negroes  often  insolently  refuse  to  work  under  any  conditions 
and  persuade  others  to  adopt  the  same  policies.  They  are 
thus  failing  to  prepare  themselves  for  any  of  the  gainful 
occupations,  and  in  this  way  they  are  increasing  the  difficul 
ties  for  the  future  development  of  the  race. 

Not  only  is  colored  labor  not  improving  in  the  quality 
or  in  the  quantity  available  for  practical  employment,  but 
it  is  doubtful  if  a  single  locality  can  be  found  in  the  South 
in  which  negro  labor  is  not  growing  more  unsatisfactory. 
The  general  grounds  for  complaint  other  than  those  already 
indicated,  are  chiefly  the  unreliability  of  the  Negro.  The 
employer  never  knows  when  he  will  be  able  to  employ ;  when 
he  has  succeeded  in  employing,  he  has  no  assurance  that  the 
laborers  will  report  for  work,  or  that  they  will  report  con 
tinuously.  The  Negro  can  not  be  depended  upon,  and 
there  is  no  way  to  bring  pressure  to  bear  upon  him  as  in, 
former  days.  The  negroes  themselves  bring  little  pressure 
to  force  industry  upon  individuals.  Again,  the  quality  of 
the  labor  itself  is  often  unreliable  unless  minutely  directed. 


2go     SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [584 

This  is  due  both  to  carelessness  and  irresponsibleness  of  the 
Negro  and  to  his  lack  of  intelligence  and  training.  The 
average  negro  will  not  remain  in  one  position  for  a  long 
period  of  time.  He  must  have  his  change,  whether  to  work 
at  something  else,  to  loaf,  or  to  visit  another  locality.  He 
usually  returns  sooner  or  later  where  he  is  again  employed 
with  some  satisfaction ;  for  a  time  he  is  again  a  good  worker. 
The  whites  employ  the  negro  laborer  in  general,  not  on  the 
basis  of  his  ability  or  record,  but  on  the  probability  of 
getting  the  work  done.  Only  a  few  years  ago  it  was  very 
common  for  families  to  employ  laborers  who  had  remained 
with  them  for  years,  working  regularly  and  faithfully  year 
after  year  to  their  mutual  satisfaction  and  prosperity ;  now  it 
seems  rarely  possible  to  retain  the  same  negro  more  than  a 
season  or  a  year.  These  particulars  indicate  the  new  pro 
portions  which  the  situation  is  assuming  in  its  effect  upon 
the  Negro  and  in  the  special  problems  that  make  up  labor 
conditions.  The  difficulty  of  maintaining  satisfactory  do 
mestic  service  intensifies  the  "  servant  problem."  The 
younger  negroes  are  not  prepared  to  do  good  work  and  care 
less  for  it ;  they  are  thus  preparing  to  be  forced  out  of  their 
present  place  by  white  workers.  Farm  labor  and  general 
work  that  requires  steady  employment  is  beginning  to  suffer. 
Skilled  labor  is  not  increasing  in  quantity  or  efficiency. 
The  causal  relation  between  the  negro  morals  and  irregu 
larities  is  more  apparent  in  his  work.  The  growing  race 
feeling  may  well  be  expected  to  prevent  the  negro  laborer 
from  having  equal  competition  with  the  whites  unless  his 
work  be  thoroughly  efficient.  He  will  not  be  allowed  in  the 
labor  unions;  it  is  thus  incumbent  upon  him  to  be  able  to 
direct  himself.  His  presence  will  be  unwelcome,  if  con 
stantly  unemployed,  because  he  can  always  be  had  for  a 
reduced  wage,  thus  breaking  into  the  plans  of  the  unions. 
These  are  some  of  the  conditions  which  the  Negro  must 


585]  THE  NEGRO  PROBLEM  2Sl 

willingly  face  and  to  which  he  must  adjust  himself  and 
wake  up. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  South  prefers  negro  labor  in  gen 
eral.  In  all  domestic  service,  hotels,  elevators  and  mis 
cellaneous  work  the  Negro  is  much  preferred.  Many  em 
ployers  in  special  industries  also  prefer  negrp  laborers. 
There  will  be  ample  opportunity  for  the  regular  employment 
of  the  Negro  if  his  labor  is  satisfactory.  The  rapid  de 
velopment  of  the  South  will  demand  a  larger  supply  of 
labor  than  is  now  available.  At  present  the  negroes  find 
the  most  satisfactory  work  in  the  municipal  improvements 
of  towns  and  cities,  the  construction  of  new  industries,  and 
in  the  work  of  railroads  and  mines.  Such  employment  will 
continue  to  attract  a  large  number  of  negroes.  The  labor 
of  the  farm  should  recall  the  industrious,  earnest  negro 
worker,  while  the  small  industries  and  promiscuous  work 
offer  a  broad  field.  Wages  are  practically  the  same  as  for  the 
whites  in  this  general  labor,  and  the  negroes  are  less  often 
abused  and  cheated  of  their  time,  than  formerly.  The 
Southern  employer  recognizes  with  some  pride  efficient, 
earnest,  educated  negro  laborers,  and  he  is  not  slow  to  re 
ward  them.  The  Negro  is  undoubtedly  capable  of  very 
efficient  work,  both  skilled  and  unskilled.  He  has  much 
aptitude  and  endurance  for  special  work.  He  has  in 
genuity  and  ability  in  some  forms  of  inventive  and  mechani 
cal  labor,  if  he  would  prepare  himself  and  apply  his  best 
energies  continuously  to  his  work.  At  present  it  must  be 
admitted  that  the  average  negro  laborer  wishes  to  do  the 
higher  class  of  work  without  being  willing  to  prepare  for 
it;  he  has  little  ambition  to  rise  through  progressive  effi 
ciency.  It  is  this  lack  of  equipment  and  ambition  rather 
than  competition  with  the  whites  which  is  causing  skilled 
labor  to  decrease  in  many  places.  In  all  features  alike,  the 
Negro  is  suffering  from  his  weakness  and  the  white  man  is 


282     SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [586 

not  willing  to  save  him  from  it.  Competition  in  the  South 
will  not  long  remain  so  easy  as  it  has  been ;  the  Negro  may 
count  on  assistance  from  the  whites  provided  he  shows  his 
ability  to  properly  use  it.  Otherwise  his  condition  will  con 
tinue  more  unfavorable.  In  the  reaction  which  followed  the 
recent  strike  of  firemen  on  the  Georgia  Railroad  it  was  clear 
that  there  is  a  growing  sentiment  against  negro  labor  in 
comparison  with  whites,  where  the  issue  is  one  of  race. 
In  the  same  reaction  there  was  also  manifest  a  strong  feel 
ing  of  justice  and  f airplay  for  the  Negro.  The  efficient, 
earnest,  industrious  negro  may  count  on  opportunity  and 
encouragement  in  the  South.  And  the  hope  may  reason 
ably  be  expressed  that  the  South,  needing  and  favoring 
negro  labor,  and  seeing  that  idleness  increases  crime  and  in 
efficiency  will  come  to  take  a  broader  view  of  the  entire 
situation,  so  that  steps  will  be  taken  to  assist  the  Negro  and 
insist  that  he  shall  be  employed  and  that  in  this  policy  no 
field  of  work  will  be  closed  to  the  Negro.  In  this  study  of 
the  negro  laborer  and  in  the  adjustment  of  labor  conditions 
through  which  the  South  must  achieve  its  industrial  de 
velopment,  there  is  a  broad  field  for  practical  results  in  the 
application  by  Southern  economists  of  sound  interpretation 
and  theories.  The  negro  labor  problem  lacks  many  of  the 
features  common  to  the  general  labor  conditions ;  it  involves 
additional  problems. 

The  wealth  of  a  people  must  depend  partly  on  their  earn 
ing  capacity,  partly  upon  their  economy,  and  partly  upon 
their  opportunities  and  resources.  The  Negro  as  a  laborer 
has  contributed  much  to  the  economic  welfare  of  the  coun 
try;  he  has  contributed  little  to  his  own  wealth.  He  there 
fore  contributes  to  the  state  little  in  the  way  of  property. 
On  the  one  hand  it  is  complained  by  the  whites  that  the 
Negro  contributes  little  to  the  wealth  of  the  country.  On 
the  other  hand  it  is  maintained  by  the  Negro  that  he  does 


587]  THE  NEGRO  PROBLEM  283 

not  cost  the  Nation  a  cent.  The  standards  of  criticism  are 
entirely  different.  Again,  the  Negro  speaks  with  pride  of 
the  homes,  banks,  churches  and  industries  which  are  owned 
or  controlled  by  negroes  and  enlarges  upon  the  inaccurate 
estimates  of  the  amount  of  property  upon  which  the  negroes 
pay  taxes,  while  the  whites  assert  that,  whereas  the  negroes 
constitute  some  forty  percent  of  the  population  they  own  only 
from  three  to  five  percent  of  the  property.  Such  a  record 
is  neither  unusual  nor  surprising,  but  the  natural  results 
which  might  have  been  expected  under  the  conditions  ob 
taining.  It  is  not  especially  creditable,  nor  is  it  a  dis 
creditable  record  for  a  people  of  the  Negro's  qualities  and 
experience.  Comparison  with  the  whites  is  a  severe  test. 
But  the  Negro  has  reached  the  stage  when  it  is  necessary 
for  him  to  prepare  himself  for  successful  competition,  to 
prove  his  ability  to  contribute  to  the  wealth  of  the  country, 
and  to  explain  why  his  property  is  increasing  at  a  relatively 
diminishing  ratio.  This  explanation  will  be  found  in  the 
traits  and  tendencies  which  have  controlled  his  conduct 
rather  than  in  the  environment  and  the  opportunities  which 
have  been  at  his  disposal.  For  he  has  had  ample  opportun 
ity  to  buy  homes  and  land  and  to  accumulate  property  with 
out  hindrance.  If  the  Negro  would  apply  himself  faithfully 
to  his  work  with  the  rate  of  wages  which  he  receives,  and 
use  a  reasonable  amount  of  judgment  and  economy  in  the 
expenditure  of  his  money,  he  could  raise  his  standard  of 
living  and  at  the  same  time  save  a  substantial  part  of  his 
earnings.  As  it  is  the  Negro  spends  his  money  as  fast  as 
he  can  obtain  it  somewhat  in  the  importance  attached  to  its 
value  for  church  and  lodge  dues,  for  entertainments  and  so 
cial  life  under  the  auspices  of  these  institutions,  for  cloth 
ing,  for  novelties  and  unnecessaries,  for  house  rent  and  food. 
Much  is  paid  for  fines  and  a  considerable  amount  is  sacri 
ficed  in  the  necessity  of  having  to  seek  credit  for  supplies. 


284     SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [588 

The  resulting  conditions  are  not  unlike  those  in  other  depart 
ments  of  his  life.  Ignorance,  negligence,  shiftlessness,  vice 
and  weakness  lead  to  poverty  as  they  do  to  unstable  race- 
conditions.  It  is  thus  impossible  for  the  Negro  to  accumu 
late-  property  even  if  he  desired  to  do  so  and  if  there  was 
sentiment  putting  a  premium  on  thrift  and  economy;  it 
would  not  be  possible  for  him  to  retain  property  if  it  were 
given  him,  under  these  conditions. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  Negro  often  proves  himself 
capable  of  industry  and  thrift  for  a  short  period  of  time 
when  he  must  have  a  certain  amount  of  money.  Many  in 
dividuals  have  succeeded  in  saving  year  after  year  a  part  o£ 
their  income  and  investing  it  in  sensible  ways.  There  are 
many  negroes  whose  records  show  marked  thrift  and  suc- 
.  cessful  management.  In  every  community  the  wealth  owned 
by  the  negroes  has  been  accumulated  by  a  very  small  num 
ber  of  individuals  who  represent  the  more  successful 
economic  element.  Again,  the  Negro  shows  capacity  for 
organization  in  his  fraternal  organizations  and  benefit  as 
sociations,  his  business  leagues,  and  various  co-operative 
projects.  He  shows  a  remarkable  ability  for  advertising, 
for  raising  money  through  the  medium  of  church  and  lodge. 
The  negroes  control  quite  a  number  of  banks,  stores,  news 
papers  and  other  establishments.  In  these  and  in  supplying 
provisions  for  members  of  their  own  race  there  is  much 
economic  activity  and  success.  The  Negro  plans  many  co 
operative  methods  of  establishing  successful  business  con 
cerns,  but  they  usually  hinder  rather  than  promote  individ 
ual  prosperity  and  look  to  an  ideal  prosperity.  In  his  en 
thusiasm  the  Negro  is  a  bad  manager.  Says  one,  "  the 
Negro  Business  League  is  the  greatest  meeting  along  in 
dustrial  lines  that  has  ever  been  organized  among  any 
people,"  and  he  speaks  of  a  state  organization  only.  In  an 
appeal  for  subscriptions  to  a  savings  institution  for  negroes 


589]  THE  NEGRO  PROBLEM  285 

the  promoter  says  among  other  things,  "  .  .  .  it  behooves 
us,  the  sable  sons  of  Ham,  to  fall  in  and  keep  step  to  the 
drum  tap  of  commercialism  and  march  onward  and  upward 
the  foot-worn  pedestal  of  success  until  we  shall  have  thrown 
wide  the  doors  to  the  vaults  of  the  Southern  Banking  and 
Loan  Company  in  which  will  be  heaped  the  treasures  of  the 
nations."  The  total  capital  was  to  be  fifteen  thousand  dol 
lars,  with  shares  at  fifty  dollars  apiece,  to  be  paid  in  install 
ments  of  one  dollar  a  week  for  fifty  weeks.  Such  plans 
have  been  numerous  indeed,  and  much  might  be  done  were 
it  not  all  lost  in  the  end  in  bad  management  or  lack  of 
completion.  Here  again  the  negroes  contribute  something 
to  the  prosperity  of  the  whites  and  of  a  few  negroes,  but 
little  to  their  own  welfare.  The  problem  is  not  so  much 
that  of  wealth  to  the  nation  as  it  is  one  of  helping  the  Negro 
to  place  himself  on  a  stable  basis.  He  must  begin  the 
economy  of  self-help  and  individual  acquirement;  he  must 
learn  discretion  and  judgment  in  the  placing  of  his  small 
contributions.  Until  he  has  learned  more  of  this  lesson  it 
will  be  difficult  for  him  to  withstand  a  severe  competition 
and  not  until  then  will  he  begin  to  add  to  the  wealth  of  the 
State.  He  can  best  begin  by  adopting  a  policy  of  faithful, 
consistent,  industrious  application  to  his  work. 

While  the  Negro  has  the  power  of  making  his  future 
prosperity  in  the  South,  it  is  also  largely  in  the  hands  of  the 
whites,  in  that  he  can  only  achieve  results  through  the  help 
and  co-operation  of  the  whites.  Wherever  negroes  have 
succeeded  in  small  industries  and  as  industrious  laborers, 
they  have  always  had  their  individual  or  group  of  white 
friends  supporting  their  efforts.  This  is  an  essential  part 
of  their  environment.  What  the  future  attitude  of  the 
whites  will  be  toward  the  Negro  will  depend  largely  on  the 
Negro's  ability  to  prove  his  worth  and  his  assistance  to  the 
whites.  Economic  conditions  will  control  the  situation.  So 


286     SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [590 

far  as  the  present  situation  is  concerned,  this  is  the  only 
important  problem  in  the  Negro's  environment.  The  ques 
tions  of  social  and  political  equality  do  not  constitute  a  prob 
lem  in  the  sense  in  which  the  industrial  and  economic  situ 
ation  does.  The  Negro  may  count  upon  his  relation  to  the 
whites  as  it  has  been  indicated  in  the  discussion  of  the  fore 
going  problems.  He  will  achieve  his  place  entirely  as  a 
separate  race.  An  implicit  understanding  of  this  will  facili 
tate  his  progress.  Little  need  be  said  concerning  social  and 
political  equality.  There  is  no  absolute  race  equality  in  any 
sense  of  the  word.  The  races  have  different  abilities  and 
potentialities.  Those  who  would  assist  the  Negro  should 
remember  this  and  not  exact  too  much  otf  him,  either  in 
demanding  his  results  or  in  offering  him  the  completed 
ideals  of  the  whites.  Race  prejudice  will  continue  with  an 
increasing  intensity  but  the  races  will  come  to  a  more  com 
plete  understanding.  When  the  Negro  has  proved  himself, 
the  world  will  make  way  for  him.  So  long  as  he  is  in 
capable  of  intelligently  using  the  ballot  or  in  assisting  in 
the  direction  of,  and  in  the  understanding  of  public  policies, 
he  will  be  denied  the  ballot.  But  a  broader  view  of  the 
situation  will  be  gained  by  both  races  and  as  the  negroes  be 
come  qualified  they  will  be  given  the  opportunity  to  co-oper 
ate  in  the  political  working  of  the  South.  The  Negro  must 
have  legal  justice  and  fair  play,  and  this  will  be  received 
more  readily  when  the  two  races  come  to  a  definite  under 
standing  of  what  their  relations  are  to  be.  In  the  character 
istic  feeling  of  the  Southern  whites  all  forms  of  equality 
suggest  social  equality,  which  is  utterly  inconceivable  to 
their  practical  thinking. 

While  the  question  of  social  equality  does  not  constitute 
a  problem  in  the  South,  it  does  appear  to  other  peoples  and 
to  the  Negro  as  a  possibility  or  a  probability.  The  question 
is  still  agitated  to  some  extent  and  it  may  be  remembered 


59 1  ]  THE  NEGRO  PROBLEM  287 

that  there  have  been  those  who  advocated  the  superiority  of 
the  Negro  to  the  Southern  whites.  This  conception  of 
equality,  with  the  consequent  result  upon  the  Negro,  has 
done  more  to  co-operate  with  his  undeveloped  nature  in 
hindering  his  progress  than  any  other  single  thing.  It  has 
been  a  great  injustice  to  the  Negro  as  well  as  to  the  whites. 
There  is  not  a  single  argument  in  its  favor ;  the  intermixing 
of  the  races  has  been  judged  to  work  detriment  to  both,  so 
far  as  scientific  observations  have  been  possible.  As  a  mat 
ter  of  fact,  however,  the  question  of  social  equality  is  not 
based  on  pure  reason.  Feeling  is  much  more  powerful  than 
the  intellect  in  such  a  situation.  It  may  be  possible  to  ex 
plain  the  abstract  situation,  but  a  thorough  comprehension 
is  not  possible  without  an  immediate  experience  of  the  in 
herent  feeling-attitude  which  underlies  it.  One  may  per 
suade  the  intellect  but  not  the  feeling.  Race-prejudice  re 
veals  the  fact  that  the  whites,  while  admitting  the  abstract 
righteousness  of  the  various  forms  of  equality — economic, 
political,  religious,  legal — admitting  that  character  is  not  to 
be  judged  by  such  external  accidents  as  color,  in  practice  and 
feeling  they  refuse  to  grant  to  the  Negro  an  actual  right  to 
equality  of  treatment  based  on  character.  This  has  its  basis 
in  the  feeling  that  the  Negro  has  not  the  character  quali 
ties  which  warrant  such  a  treatment.  But  it  further  has  its 
explanation  in  the  fact  that  the  right  of  equality  carries  with 
it  a  check  in  that  the  whites  implicitly  feel  that  all  forms 
of  equality  at  bottom  are  based  on  at  least  the  possibility 
of  social  communion,1  and  that  social  communion  holds  out 

1  The  explanation  involved  in  the  idea  of  "  social  communion "  is 
that  of  Dr.  Thomas  P.  Bailey.  A  further  discussion  of  the  general 
relations  between  the  races  will  be  found  in  his  address  before  the 
Department  of  Superintendence  of  the  National  Education  Association 
held  at  Indianapolis  in  March  of  this  year.  This  valuable  discussion 
I  am  permitted  to  give  in  the  appendix. 


288     SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [592 

the  possibility  of  intermarriage,  which  is  an  impossible 
admission.  Therefore,  all  forms  of  equality  are  withheld 
from  the  Negro  in  proportion  as  they  tend  to  connect 
themselves  with  "  social  equality."  Individual  negroes  how 
ever,  excellent  they  might  be  in  character,  are  never 
theless  members  of  a  race  that  cannot  share  the  com 
munal  life  of  the  whites,  and  however  much  they  may  be 
respected  for  their  ability  and  character,  they  are  still  "  out 
side  the  kin."  The  feeling  against  any  forms  of  social 
equality  are  thus  established  as  strong  "  mores  "  which  it 
is  impossible  to  overcome  in  any  short  period  of  time.  It  is 
stronger  than  religion  and  government.  He  that  violates  it 
is  without  religion  and  state.  In  the  keeping  of  it  is  the 
highest  culture,  education,  religion  and  conduct;  it  under 
lies  purity,  virtue,  traditions,  ideals  and  is  also  intensified 
in  the  social  emotions  and  conduct.  So  long  as  the  attitude 
is  thus,  it  is  needless  to  inquire  into  the  advisability  of  the 
mixing  of  the  races ;  such  a  feeling  grows  stronger  with  the 
developing  situation.  It  is  expedient  to  turn  to  the  problem 
of  immediate  improvement  of  conditions  as  they  now  are, 
thus  preparing  the  way  for  successful  adjustment. 

From  this  inquiry  into  the  character  tendencies  of  the 
Negro,  his  related  environment  and  the  special  correspond 
ence  involved  in  the  relations  between  whites  and  blacks,  it 
is  clear  that  the  amelioration  of  the  Negro's  condition  must 
come  through  a  continued  growth.  Strength  of  moral  char 
acter  and  mental  stability  with  economic  prosperity  never 
yet  came  to  a  people  by  leaps  and  bounds.  Such  a  growth 
can  only  be  effected  through  the  coming  generations,  by 
means  of  a  training  which  will  give  a  permanent  character- 
basis  upon  which  to  build  and  a  capacity  to  retain;  this 
must  be  a  persistent,  continuous  process,  with  efficient 
forces  to  direct.  A  proposed  plan  of  beginning  the  Negro's 
education  with  the  view  to  establishing  the  qualities  of 


593]  THE  NEGRO  PROBLEM  289 

stick-to-it-iveness  and  development  within  the  race  has  been 
outlined  in  Chapter  I.  But  in  the  meantime,  and  in  order 
to  make  way  for  such  plans  and  to  avert  further  deteriorat 
ing  influences,  there  are  certain  self-evident  duties  for  both 
whites  and  blacks.  While  only  commonplaces  in  their  state 
ment,  they  are  the  very  difficult  essentials  of  any  positive 
growth  in  the  negro  race.  For  the  negroes,  perhaps  the 
very  first  essential  is  a  complete  understanding  of  their  own 
condition  with  a  clear,  implicit,  final  feeling  that  the  races 
will  develop  separately.  There  is  ample  opportunity  for 
each  and  prosperity  should  be  a  mutual  benefit.  With  this 
conception  inherent,  the  Negro  will  find  his  unconscious 
strivings  after  the  new  ideals  a  stable  basis  for  prosperity. 
Then  he  may  stand  for  race  purity,  race  pride  and  loyalty 
and  race  solidarity.  This  can  only  come  about  when  he 
has  ceased  to  wish  to  become  a  white  man.  There  is  and 
will  be  a  large  field  for  simple  success  and  happiness,  with 
progressive  achievement  for  the  successfully  developed 
black  man ;  there  is  and  will  not  be  a  place  for  a  black  white 
man.  Self-improvement  should  be  the  first  result.  The 
bettering  of  the  immediate  situation  and  the  preparation  for 
future  growth  will  be  most  facilitated  by  uncompromising 
industrious  and  industrial  application,  and  by  a  demand  on 
the  part  of  the  Negro  for  his  race  of  a  higher  standard  of 
living.  Following  these,  moral  improvement  and  concerted 
ideals  will  be  possible;  the  intellectual  capacity  may  then 
have  an  opportunity  to  develop.  A  practical  crusade  for 
industry,  economy,  thrift  and  better  home  conditions  is  ab 
solutely  necessary  if  any  immediate  results  are  to  be  ex 
pected;  each  delay  renders  the  future  less  favorable,  unless 
indeed,  it  is  the  wish  of  the  Negro  to  allow  the  process  of 
elimination  to  proceed  at  length  and  then  to  take  the  re 
maining  few  for  the  nucleus  of  a  new  race  development.  It 
does  seem  that  the  Negro,  recognizing  the  exact  traits  and 


290     SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [594 

tendencies  and  their  possibilities  for  good  or  bad,  would  be 
willing  to  undertake  the  things  which  are  absolutely  neces 
sary  to  his  welfare.  There  may  be  conflicting  opinions 
about  the  race  relations  in  the  future,  about  the  ultimate 
solution,  but  there  is  no  conflict  in  the  facts  already  set  forth ; 
they^  are  uncontrovertible.  The  Negro,  then,  should  be 
willing  to  face  the  situation  and  work  for  specific,  definite 
benefits,  rather  than  advocate  improvement  on  world-wide 
comparisons  and  dream  of  an  ideal  deliverance  into  a  state 
of  greatness  and  prosperity.  Race  agitation  is  more  harm 
ful  to  the  Negro,  little  hurtful  to  the  whites.  Definite 
plans  and  means  through  personal  strivings,  beginning  with 
ever  so  insignificant  results  and  working  slowly,  persistently 
surely,  outward — these  will  work  substantial  gains.  The 
Negro  must  give  up  his  superficiality,  as  rapidly  as  it  is 
possible  for  him  to  do  so,  and  face  his  problems  one  by  one 
in  the  order  of  their  immediate  importance. 

Nor  should  this  appear  to  be  a  gloomy  outlook.  There  is 
a  remarkable  unity  in  all  of  the  Negro's  weakness  and 
stronger  points.  Enough  of  the  excellent  qualities  of  the 
Negro  have  been  given  expression  to  indicate  a  large  pos 
sibility;  to  develop  these  capabilities  should  be  a  joyous 
problem  for  the  earnest  negro.  Negro  individuals  have 
succeeded ;  negro  communities  have  shown  the  power  of  suc 
cessful  self-direction.  There  are  many  sections  where  the 
negroes  show  a  large  degree  of  prosperity.  The  Negro  has 
the  capacity  to  enjoy  life  within  his  own  race.  The  very 
satisfaction  of  earning  honest  success  with  honest  toil,  the 
physical  comforts  and  the  spiritual  satisfaction  in  the  pres 
ent  and  in  the  outlook  for  the  future  are  no  little  rewards. 
A  healthy  body,  a  wholesome  thought  and  moral  feeling,  a 
guarantee  of  comforts  and  work  in  helping  make  a  civiliza 
tion,  with  a  gradual  intellectual  improvement  will  make  the 
Negro  an  increasingly  important  factor  in  the  civilization  in 


595]  THE  NEGRO  PROBLEM  291 

which  he  lives.  The  problem  is  one  of  developing  the  possi 
bilities  of  a  potent  race ;  what  service  could  be  more  lofty  or 
more  satisfying?  Nothing  that  the  Negro  might  achieve 
inter-racially  can  ever  compare  with  his  services  in  helping 
his  own  society.  In  no  other  way  can  he  achieve  fame  so 
easily  or  so  unquestionably  fixed.  Such  negf*oes  will  al 
ways  be  honored  and  find  satisfaction  in  representing  the  in 
terests  of  their  people.  Many  recent  conferences  in  the 
South  between  the  whites  and  blacks  show  a  distinct  and 
healthful  spirit  of  encouragement  on  both  sides.  The  Negro 
has  an  unlimited  field  before  him  in  the  higher  work  of 
teaching,  preaching  and  professional  work  among  his  own 
people.  There  will  be  no  competition  there  outside  of  his 
own  race,  when  he  has  once  found  his  place.  The  fidelity 
of  the  negro  teacher  and  other  workers  reveals  a  most  en 
thusiastic  and  hopeful  outlook.  Their  wholesome  enjoy 
ment  of  work  and  the  satisfaction  gained  from  results  are 
most  gratifying.  Again,  the  large  number  of  names  of 
negroes  who  have  been  recognized  by  the  whites  both  South 
and  North  is  suggestive  of  the  possibilities  that  may  be  at 
tained  through  a  devoted  race  struggle.  The  attitude  of 
the  world  in  encouraging  such  negroes  could  scarcely  be 
more  pronounced.  From  the  viewpoint  of  race  pride  and 
development,  it  would  be  difficult  to  find  a  more  enviable 
field  for  service  than  that  of  leading  the  negro  race  steadily, 
safely,  through  the  changing  scenes  of  a  growing  civiliza 
tion.  It  is  easy  for  the  white  man  to  say  to  the  negroes 
that  permanent  achievement  comes  only  through  hard  work 
and  sacrifice;  that  it  has  come  in  this  way  to  every  people 
as  well  as  individuals  who  have  survived.  Likewise  it  is 
easy  to  say  to  them  that  such  sacrifices,  whatever  form  they 
may  take,  are  the  source  of  unlimited  spiritual  satisfaction. 
It  is  more  difficult  for  the  Negro  to  face  the  situation  and 
meet  it  squarely  and  unflinchingly.  Still  it  is  the  best  sym- 


292     SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [596 

pathy  and  co-operation  that  can  be  offered  to  the  Negro 
for  the  white  man  to  join  with  him  in  meeting  the  situation 
squarely  and  to  share  with  him  in  a  practical,  substantial 
way  the  hardships  that  must  sometimes  come.  It  is  not, 
then,  "closing  the  doors  of  opportunity  and  hope  to  ask  that 
the  best  be  made  of  a  situation,  in  the  successful  outcome  of 
which  means  the  fate  and  happiness  of  the  negro  race  in 
America.  Who  would  discount  the  life  and  work  of  Booker 
Washington  ?  There  is  yet  a  far  greater  work  to  be  done. 
For  the  whites,  it  is  also  necessary  that  they  recognize  the 
fact  that  the  question  of  social  equality  is  not  a  problem ;  all 
agitation  based  on  the  sensational  fear  of  negro  domination 
is  quite  unnecessary  and  harmful.  Such  agitation  tends  to 
create  a  thought-problem  where  none  should  exist.  An  im 
plicit  understanding  on  the  part  of  both  races  is  all  that  is 
necessary  for  the  beginning  of  a  better  relation  between  the 
races.  The  negroes  will  not  want  social  equality ;  the  whites 
will  not  be  conscious  of  such  a  possibility.  It  will  more 
easily  be  recognized,  then,  that  the  development  of  the 
negro  race  tends  to  the  prosperity  of  the  whites,  as  does  the 
success  and  prosperity  of  the  whites  make  better  conditions 
for  the  Negro.  With  a  clear  understanding  that  the  Negro 
is  working  to  achieve  worth  and  prosperity  in  his  own  field, 
the  whites  will  co-operate  for  his  betterment.  An  important 
need  for  the  whites  is  a  scientific  study  of  the  Negro  and 
his  environmental  conditions.  Unless  we  know  what  the 
Negro  is,  there  can  be  little  intelligent  direction  and  assist 
ance  given  him.  Whether  he  remain  in  the  South  or  mi 
grate  to  various  parts  of  the  United  States,  or  whether 
he  be  assisted  to  establish  a  separate  government  and 
civilization,  or  whatever  the  ultimate  solution  might  be, 
,.  other  than  the  logical  development,  it  is  vital  that  we  know 
his  capacities  and  potentialities.  In  any  case  he  must  be 
educated  intelligently,  effectively,  permanently.  For  the 


597]  THE  NEGRO  PROBLEM  293 

sake  of  the  whites  as  well  as  the  blacks  it  is  essential  that  he 
be  given  a  fair  chance.  A  thorough  knowledge  of  the  Negro 
will  be  followed  by  a  third  essential,  namely  broader  and  im 
partial  thinking.  Liberality  and  fair-play,  legal  j  ustice  and  the 
justice  of  opportunity — in  the  sense  of  best  fitting  the  Negro 
for  his  best  efforts — these  must  be  qualities  of  >he  Southern 
whites.  Justice  to  the  Negro  and  justice  to  society  are  essen 
tials  to  the  successful  development  of  the  future  civilization 
of  the  South.  Efficient  laws  and  their  enforcement  will 
facilitate  the  rendering  of  such  justice.  Again,  the  whites 
may  well  be  expected  to  show  a  greater  personal  interest  in 
the  life  and  welfare  of  the  Negro,  and  a  greater  willingness 
to  assist  him.  There  can  be  no  surer  way  of  hindering  the 
Negro's  growth  than  by  giving  him  false  ideals;  his  path 
should  be  made  plain,  not  necessarily  smooth,  and  he 
should  be  intelligently  assisted  to  make  his  way.  In  this  the 
white  man  has  opportunity  for  effective  service  to  the  Negro 
and  the  South.  Such  assistance  can  begin  nowhere  else  than 
in  each  community  by  introducing  among  the  negroes  a  prac 
tical,  enthusiastic  campaign  for  industry  and  better  home 
life.  This  can  be  done  in  many  ways.  A  negro  commun 
ity  once  enthusiastic  upon  the  subject,  coerced  and  assisted 
by  the  whites  can  do  much.  The  whites  can  best  start  the 
Negro  in  such  work  and  can  as  well  continue  to  help 
him.  There  is  room  for  the  individual  and  for  the  church, 
municipality,  and  State  to  assist  practically  without  the 
objections  commonly  suggested  to  such  policies.  To  those 
who  wish  to  contribute  money  to  the  problem,  there  is  pros 
pect  of  effective  results  if  in  co-operation  with  whites  and 
blacks  of  the  South.  A  clear  understanding  of  all  policies 
and  a  frank,  sincere  directness  of  methods  should  character 
ize  all  work.  It  is  indeed  a  problem,  which,  although  a 
difficult  one  and  one  which  demands  scientific  knowledge  and 
methods  with  judicial  interpretations  and  sane  appreciation 


294     SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [598 

of  all  the  forces  which  operate,  challenges  our  civilization  to 
work  wonders  with  it.  The  North  can  also  assist  much 
in  effectively  and  successfully  dealing  with  the  Negro  in 
the  North — a  problem  more  advanced  in  some  respects.  In 
this  way  the  South  may  be  able  to  receive  much  as 
sistance  in  planning  for  the  future.  The  Negro  in  the 
North  feels  his  situation  with  more  keenness  than  he  does  in 
the  South.  Again,  the  whites  should  be  charitable  in  their 
judgment  of  the  Negro.  The  sensuality  of  the  Negro,  while 
extremely  developed,  is  but  a  natural  inheritance.  His 
laziness  is  neither  surprising  nor  hopeless.  His  religion  is 
not  savage.  Comparisons  are  suggestive.  The  closing  of 
the  frontal  sinus  of  the  brain  may  be  functional  and  easily 
affected  by  development.  The  Negro  has  overwhelming 
odds  in  inheritance  and  environment  with  which  he  must 
compete.  He  deserves  sympathy,  encouragement,  positive 
and  firm  direction,  and  practicaly  intelligent  assistance.  It 
is  now  generally  admitted  by  many  students  of  the  problem 
that  in  proportion  as  they  come  in  closer  contact  with  the 
situation  their  knowledge  of  the  Negro  seems  less  extensive 
and  sure.  On  the  other  hand,  there  is  much  experience 
back  of  the  common  statement  that  "  a  negro  is  a  negro  and 
you  can't  make  anything  else  out  of  him."  But  he  may  be 
assisted  to  be  a  good  negro  and  that  is  the  highest  privilege 
that  can  be  given  him. 

Little  remains  to  be  said.  The  effort  has  been  made,  first, 
to  give  an  accurate  estimate  of  the  Negro,  based  on  facts  ob 
tained  by  a  discriminating  study  of  conditions  in  Southern 
towns,  an  effort  to  add  to  our  knowledge  of  the  Negro, 
with  the  special  view  to  his  capacities  and  potentials.  Sec 
ondly,  the  effort  has  been  made  to  portray  the  conditions  of 
the  negro  race  in  such  communities  as  they  now  exist  with 
the  special  correspondence  between  his  environment  and  the 
whites,  and  the  probable  relations  which  will  exist  in  the 


599]  THE  NEGRO  PROBLEM  295 

future.  Thirdly,  if  then  we  know  what  the  Negro  is  and 
what  his  environmental  opportunities  and  requirements  are 
and  will  be,  certain  self-evident  duties  suggest  themselves  to 
whites  and  blacks.  It  takes  no  prophet  to  add  up  these  con 
ditions  and  come  to  a  conclusion  concerning  the  problem. 
Either  the  present  tendencies  and  conditions  will  continue 
at  an  increasing  ratio  with  the  resulting  failure  of  the  negro 
race  in  America,  or  they  will  continue  at  a  constantly  de 
creasing  ratio  until  the  Negro  has  found  himself,  adjusted 
himself  to  conditions,  and  had  a  chance  to  develop  his  in 
herent  capacities  with  success.  Nor  is  it  difficult  to  see 
that  it  will  take  unusual  efforts  on  the  part  of  all  concerned 
to  achieve  the  fullest  measure  of  success  in  the  working 
out  of  the  problem.  The  facts  call  for  tolerance,  broad- 
mindedness  and  patience.  They  also  call  for  a  recognition 
of  the  unwisdom  of  attempting  to  treat  the  Negro  as  if  he 
possessed  the  same  content  of  mind  as  the  whites.  It  would 
seem  that  if  both  whites  and  blacks  knew  what  the  condi 
tions  are,  what  is  possible  and  probable,  what  the  outcome 
should  be,  and  what  it  will  take  to  bring  it  about,  that  they 
would  be  willing  to  undertake  the  task.  There  can  be  no 
valid  objection  offered  to  the  policy  of  helping  the  negroes 
to  a  healthful  and  healthy  living.  Likewise  there  appears 
no  argument  to  favor  the  policy  of  encouraging  his  super 
ficiality.  Emphasis  is  placed  on  the  saving  and  developing 
of  the  race  rather  than  upon  the  economic  value  of  the 
Negro  to  the  Country,  which  will  follow  as  a  logical  result. 
It  will  not  suffice  for  the  critic  to  affirm  that  many  of 
the  traits  of  the  Negro  as  described  are  found,  not  only 
among  the  negroes  of  Africa,  but  are  common  to  most  unde 
veloped  peoples.  This  is  true  enough.  In  all  cases  the 
facts  are  as  stated.  These  conditions  are  the  potential 
upon  which  any  future  must  be  developed  and  it  matters 
little  what  are  the  relative  traits  so  long  as  we  have  in  mind 


296     SOCIAL  AND  MENTAL  TRAITS  OF  THE  NEGRO     [600 

the  development  of  the  Negro.  But  a  careful  analysis  of 
the  traits  and  the  quality  and  circumstances  of  their  ex 
pression  indicates  differences  of  temperament  in  the  two 
races  which  are  almost  indefinable  but  which  show  that  the 
lowest  whites  have  the  defects  of  the  whites,  not  of  the 
negroes,  the  highest  negroes  have  the  good  qualities  of  the 
negroes,  not  of  the  whites.  It  is  not  claimed  that  the 
Negroes  possess  such  characteristics  as  have  been  described 
exclusively  or  that  they  are  peculiar  to  the  Negro  as  a  race. 
In  general  it  would  seem  that  the  Negro  possesses  the  ac 
cepted  characteristics  of  the  savage  mind,  that  is,  the  same 
kind  of  general  manifestation  of  the  phenomena  of  ab 
straction,  inhibition  and  choice ;  he  also  reveals  many  modi 
fications  of  such  manifestations.  But  be  this  as  it  may,  the 
Negro  in  the  South  to-day  presents  a  problem,  the  particu 
lars  of  which  have  been  described  in  the  foregoing  pages. 
The  practical  application  does  not  differ,  whether  the  Negro 
possesses  different  laws  of  mental  activity,  whether  the 
manifestations  of  his  phenomena  depend  upon  the  character 
of  individual  experience  that  is  subjected  to  the  mental  laws, 
or  whether  it  is  facility  brought  about  by  habitual  response. 
That  is,  for  the  present  purpose,  it  matters  little  whether  the 
organization  of  the  Negro's  mind  is  different  from  that  of 
the  whites  or  whether  there  is  only  a  difference  of  content  of 
mind.  In  any  case  there  is  consistency  in  the  policies  which 
give  the  Negro  opportunity  to  develop  whatever  is  best  in 
the  individual  and  in  the  race,  and  which  attempt  to  reveal 
those  fundamental  characteristics  which  at  present  lie  at  the 
centre  of  the  problem.  In  either  case  the  process  must  be 
essentially  the  same. 

There  is  neither  place  nor  cause  for  pessimism.  The 
problem  is  a  difficult  one  and  it  will  become  more  difficult 
and  complex.  Likewise  the  problems  of  special  labor  situa 
tions,  immigration  and  economic  adjustments  are  difficult. 


5OI]  THE  NEGRO  PROBLEM  297 

There  will  be  conflicts  just  as  is  inevitable  under  race  con 
ditions  and  relations  in  a  compound  society.  At  times  such 
conflicts  will  seem  more  intense  and  threatening,  but  they 
do  not  now  constitute  a  serious  problem  and  they  should 
not  be  allowed  to  overshadow  the  issues  involved.  Likewise 
sensational  measures  and  discussions  both  Sou^h  and  North 
should  not  be  permitted  to  cloud  the  real  issues  and  to  throw 
the  study  of  the  problem  into  heated  and  senseless  discus 
sions.  In  any  complex  situation  it  is  easy  to  take  the  ex 
treme  view,  emphasize  and  multiply  and  with  the  aid  of 
the  imagination  and  probable  facts,  to  reach  a  sincere  con 
clusion  as  to  the  hopelessness  of  the  problem.  It  is  like 
wise  easy  to  emphasize  and  multiply  the  opposite  extremes 
and  conceive  impractical,  Utopian  solutions.  A  civilization 
like  that  which  the  American  people  will  develop  ought  to 
be  able  to  cope  with  such  a  problem  as  that  involved  in 
the  adjustment  of  the  relations  between  different  races. 
Pessimism  can  only  be  interpreted  to  mean  an  admission  of 
unwillingness  to  face  a  problem  at  once  difficult,  immediate, 
significant  and  hopeful. 


APPENDIX 


TOPIC:  CHILDREN  DIFFER  IN  ENVIRONMENT 

Discussion:  Thomas  P.  Bailey,  Supt.  of  Schools,  Memphis, 

Tenn. 

My  discussion  shall  concern  itself  only  with  the  first  sub- 
topic,  Southern  Problems. 

There  is  only  one  Southern  problem,  and  it  is  one  of  en 
vironment.  For  Southern  children  are  the  truest  of  Ameri 
cans  by  birth  and  tradition,  and  therefore  if  they  are  being 
bred  in  the  cult  of  caste,  nurture  due  to  conditions  and  not 
nature  due  to  inheritance  must  be  responsible  for  their  de 
parture  from  the  splendid  type  of  American  Democracy. 

But  do  not  suppose  that  even  by  implication  I  am  con 
demning  my  own  dear  people.  Public  peace  and  the  safety 
of  the  state  demand  that  the  less  developed  race  be  subordin 
ate  to  the  more  developed,  under  conditions  as  they  exist 
in  the  South  today.  The  Caste  of  the  Kin  is  the  practice 
of  the  theory  that  blood  is  thicker  than  water ;  and  the  Ser 
mon  on  the  Mount  can  not  invalidate  God's  own  law  of  the 
Survival  of  the  Fittest.  If  these  widely  different  races  can 
not  blend  their  blood — and  instinct  and  science  say  nay — 
the  only  real  foundation  for  democracy,  equality  actual  or 
potential,  does  not  exist  and  can  not  be  created.  The  prin 
ciples  of  liberty,  equality  and  fraternity  are  as  abstractly 
true  as  Newton's  Laws  of  Motion,  but  the  real  resistance  of 
race-consciousness  brings  about  as  real  a  friction  as  does  the 
resistance  of  the  aid  in  modifying  the  action  of  bodies  in 
motion. 

603]  299 


300  APPENDIX  [604 

The  all-inclusive  virtue,  love  itself,  has  a  biological  basis, 
and  character-values  are  conditioned  by  body-facts.  Thus 
it  happens  that  the  Southerner's  loyalty  to  his  race  comes 
of  his  love  of  his  kind,  the  kind  he  knows  and  values. 

But  should  such  conditions  exist?  Must  Southern  chil 
dren  of  the  dominant  race  grow  up  to  scorn  and  despise, 
or  else  condescendingly  to  tolerate,  their  less  fortunate  fel 
low-creatures  ?  Or  shall  we  legitimate  lust  and  short-circuit 
the  destiny  of  a  Chosen  People?  Southerners  understand 
the  apparent  cruelty  imputed  to  the  God  of  Israel  who  is 
represented  as  commanding  the  extermination  of  non- 
assimilable  peoples.  But  the  more  refined  killing  of  today 
in  the  South  is  not  the  occasional  taking  of  a  Negro's  life 
but  the  impassive  and  relentless  murder  of  a  people's  hopes. 
But  better  this  than  worse  that  might  be.  Better  twenty 
years  of  Europe  than  a  cycle  of  Cathay.  Better  praeter- 
natural  suspicion  than  breeding  dusky  broods.  Sometimes 
we  must  be  cruel  would  we  be  kind. 

Only  in  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven  is  there  neither  marriage 
nor  giving  in  marriage.  Now  the  Kingdom  has  not  yet 
come  in  the  South.  Therefore,  let  him  that  would  establish 
any  kind  of  equality  on  any  basis  other  than  that  of  a  bio 
logically  based  family  life,  give  us  the  recipe  for  life  in  a 
vacuum. 

Again  I  ask — Should  these  things  be?  Must  the  South 
ern  child  be  compelled  to  choose  between  the  ideal  and  the 
real  in  a  world  where  ideals  must  be  realized  in  accordance 
with  the  laws  of  nature?  Will  sickly  saintliness  bring  us 
salvation?  Or  must  we  seek  safety  in  racial  selfishness? 
God  forbid  the  answer,  "  Yes,"  to  either  of  these  last  two 
questions!  Who  shall  deliver  us  from  the  body  of  this 
death! 

I  dare  not  hope  to  put  this  subject  before  you  sharply  in 
a  hasty  minute  or  two.  But  I  must  make  an  appeal  in  the 


605]  APPENDIX  30I 

name  of  the  righteous  God  and  of  bewildered  humanity. 
I  ask  that  you  leaders  of  education  think  on  these  things 
in  this  wise :  Let  us  have  this  Negro  Question  studied.  We 
are  studying  tariffs  and  the  price  of  beef ;  we  become  parti 
sans  about  a  pole  invisible  and  intangible;  our  scientific 
expeditions  scour  land  and  sea  for  specimens  of, fauna  and 
flora;  we  discriminate  nicely  the  uncertain  tints  of  Mexican 
Indians;  we  explore  the  heavens  above,  the  earth  beneath 
and  the  waters  under  the  earth — all  these  we  do,  and  much 
more,  without  the  waving  of  bloody  shirts  or  the  planting  of 
party  platforms. 

Let  us  take  the  Negro  Question  out  of  politics,  out  of 
society,  out  of  popular  religious  discussion,  out  of  prize 
fighting, — out  of  all  wherein  heat  doth  obtain  rather  than 
light. 

Let  us  put  the  Negro  Question  into  science,  and  science 
into  the  Negro  Question.  We  have  tried  all  else,  and  in 
vain.  Parties  and  churches  and  schools,  and  philanthropies 
of  all  kinds,  have  brought  us  not  one  whit  nearer  a  solution. 
The  favorite  prescription  for  a  solution  is  education,  es 
pecially  industrial  education.  And  yet  there  are  towns 
where  Negro  artisans  are  not  allowed  to  work  and  labor 
unions  in  plenty  that  Negroes  may  not  enter.  Education 
for  what  ?  Are  the  whites  going  to  neglect  the  training  of 
their  children's  hands?  When  the  grandsons  of  the  former 
slave-owners  are  dead  will  any  one  prefer  Negro  Labor, 
skilled  or  unskilled,  to  white? 

Can  education  abolish  race-consciousness  and  re-pattern 
the  convolutions  of  the  brain?  Aye,  education  may  solve 
the  race-problem  and  all  problems,  but  when  and  where 
and  how? 

Men  and  brethern,  let  us  study  the  Race  Problem.  Let 
the  study  be  national  and  international,  for  ours  is  not  the 
only  problem  of  race.  Let  the  study  be  scientific  and  not 


302  APPENDIX  [606 

sentimental;  co-operative  and  not  individualistic;  continuous 
and  not  scrappy ;  professional  and  not  dilettante ;  humani 
tarian  and  not  partisan. 

Let  us  isolate  the  surd  and  square  the  whole  equation — 
find-  a  square  deal.  It  is  science,  and  science  alone,  star- 
eyed  science,  truth-loving  science,  spiritually  intellectual 
science — it  is  the  Twentieth  Century's  greatest  power,  the 
scientific  research  of  today,  that  can  prepare  us  for  the  doing 
of  this  Nation's  greatest  duty — the  solution  of  this  problem, 
so  as  to  free  two  unallied  peoples  and  make  the  states  of 
this  union  United  States  indeed  and  in  truth ! 


VITA 


HOWARD  WASHINGTON  ODUM,  the  author  of  this  disser 
tation,  was  born  May  24,  1884,  in  Walton  County,  Georgia. 
He  received  the  A.  B.  Degree  in  19x14  from  Emory  Col 
lege,  Oxford,  Georgia,  and  the  A.  M.  degree  from  the 
University  of  Mississippi  in  1906.  In  1905 — 1906  he 
was  assistant  principal  of  the  Toccopola  School  and  in 
1905 — 1908  he  was  instructor  in  the  University  of  Mis 
sissippi.  He  was  fellow  in  Psychology  at  Clark  Univer 
sity  in  1908 — 1909.  and  received  the  Ph.  D.  degree  in 
1909.  During  his  stay  at  Clark  University  he  studied 
under  the  direction  of  President  G.  Stanley  Hall.  Pro 
fessors  Carroll  D.  Wright.  Edmund  C.  Sanford,  William 
H.  Burnham,  Clifton  F.  Hodge,  and  Alexander  F.  Cham 
berlain.  He  was  a  student  at  Columbia  University  in 
1909 — 1910.  During  his  stay  at  Columbia  he  studied 
under  the  direction  of  Professors  Franklin  H.  Giddings, 
Edwin  R.  A.  Seligman,  Henry  R.  Seager,  John  B.  Clark 
and  William  A.  Dunning,  and  attended  the  seminars  of 
Professors  Giddings  and  Seligman.  He  has  published 
"  Religious  Folk-songs  of  the  Southern  Negroes " 
(American  Journal  of  Religious  Psychology  and  Educa 
tion.  July,  1909,  Vol.  Hi,  pp.  265 — 365). 

303 


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